Kohli defends Ashwin

Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been on a downward spiral in one-day cricket but India skipper Virat Kohli feels it's unfair to be critical of him given the challenges of bowling on flat decks in the format.

Ashwin was taken to task by rookie Fakhar Zaman as he conceded 70 runs in 10 wicket-less overs in India's 180-run loss to Pakistan in Champions Trophy final last night.

In fact, he got only a single wicket in three matches that he played, giving away 167 runs from 29 overs.