Ravichandran Ashwin has emerged out to be one of the greatest spinners of all time. The maestro off-spinner has helped India register numerous wins and is a vital cog in India's unbeaten home series run since 2012. Ashwin by far has the most wickets for India in Test wins and is among the top in the world too.
He took the baton from another iconic spinner Harbhajan Singh in the last decade and has emerged out to be one of the biggest match-winners for India. However, after India's 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series, Ashwin has opened up on his early challenges while taking it over from Harbhajan.
"I had huge shoes to fill, I came in to replace Harbhajan, I used to replicate his action in junior cricket, he was an inspiration to me. Constantly people have doubted if I could deliver in red-ball as I came from IPL, lots of people have come and helped me.
"Once upon a time this ground was concrete blocks and my first experience was watching from Mac B stand, watching Sachin Tendulkar. One day I wanted to be on this particular ground and play. My first IPL contract was given here, some energy pulls me into this ground, I don't know how much longer but I love coming back here," Ashwin said to the broadcaster after India's win over Bangladesh in Chennai.
The homeboy Ashwin highlighted that he wants to take a fifer more than hitting a century. " I don't want to go thinking I want to get a 100, I want to get a fifer though. You have to sequence it as a bowler whereas as a batter it's about trusting your game but compartmentalising it has made it easier," he said.
The just-turned 38-year-old bagged six wickets in the second innings to help India bowl Bangladesh out for just 234 in the run-chase of 515. Ashwin opened up on his bowling strategy on this surface. "Pace was critical, I was earning my right to bowl slower, this is a surface where one which was reacting was when you go slower. But if you bowl a lot slower, there is time to play you off the back foot. I embrace pressure, I really enjoy being under pressure, I'm thinking like a bowler when I go in to bat. If there's a bowler who is at the backend of the spell, I let it go but otherwise I play shots and transfer the pressure," Ashwin said.
