Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed how he was inspired by former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and used to copy his bowling action in his junior days. He admitted that when he came into the Indian Test team as Harbhajan's replacement, people doubted whether he would be able to shoulder such a heavy load and replace him.
The 38-year-old Ashwin helped India take a 1-0 lead with his all-round performance against Bangladesh at Chepauk on Sunday. After his impressive hundred on the first day of the Test, which rescued India from a poor total of 144/6 in the first innings, the off-spinner picked up six wickets in Bangladesh's second innings to guide his side to a massive 280-run win against the visitors.
“It was a huge challenge for me. I used to replicate his action and bowl in the junior age group, so he was a huge inspiration for me. When I replaced him in the team, I never thought that both of us would play together at the same time, but it happened. There was always doubt about whether I would be able to do well in red-ball cricket or not, because I came from the IPL, which shaped people's perception,” Ashwin said on JioCinema.
With 6-88, Ashwin touched the 750 international wicket mark, becoming only the fourth spinner to achieve the feat after Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble. It was also Ashwin's 37th Test five-wicket haul in an innings, moving him level with Shane Warne (37) for second on the list and behind Muttiah Muralitharan (67). “But Test cricket is a format I love and I want to improve every day. A lot of people have helped me along the way and I am very happy to be standing here today,” he added.
The offspinner now has 522 Test wickets to his name, moving to eighth place among all-time leading Test wicket-takers, surpassing Courtney Walsh's 519 wickets.
Ashwin revealed how his bowling and batting have evolved over the years in Test cricket and said, “I don't think like 'I want to go out there and score a century'. I actually aim to take five wickets in every Test match. But in recent years, my batting has become simpler than before.
“I used to confuse myself, think too much as a bowler while batting, but now I keep it simple – watch the ball and react. It was a challenge to separate both aspects, but I think I have solved it.”
When India were in trouble at 144/6, Ashwin shared a crucial 199-run partnership with fellow spin bowling allrounder Ravindra Jadeja (86) to help India recover and post a first innings total of 376. Then, the spin duo joined hands to wreak havoc on Bangladesh batsmen on the fourth day of the Test and together took nine wickets.
Talking about his relationship with Jadeja, he said, “In the past there might have been competition to chase wickets and everything, but in the last four or five years, we have started enjoying each other's success a lot more. We understand what kind of bowling we need.
“Jadeja is one of the best batsmen in the Indian team, and I would say the best batsman in the world right now. He has a solid game plan and is a reliable batsman at the moment. He calms down the atmosphere when he comes into the dressing room and has helped me during difficult times. We share a lot, and I think we are enjoying each other's company on and off the field.”
The second Test will be played at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27.
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