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India's spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin reflected on his pivotal role in the second innings of the Ranchi Test against England, sharing that he volunteered to take the new ball when captain Rohit Sharma inquired who among him and Ravindra Jadeja was willing to step up.
Ashwin's spin wizardry on display
Ashwin played a key role in dismissing England for a mere 145 runs in their second innings, taking charge with the new ball and delivering with precision right from the start. His accurate bowling led to the dismissals of Ben Duckett for 15 runs, Ollie Pope for a duck, and Joe Root for 11 runs, quickly claiming three wickets.
The destruction didn't end there, as Ashwin continued his onslaught in his second spell, claiming the wickets of Ben Foakes and James Anderson to secure his 35th five-wicket haul in Tests.
Expressing satisfaction with his performance, Ashwin mentioned how gratifying it was to see his decision to bowl with the new ball pay off. He also discussed adapting his bowling approach to account for the lack of turn, focusing on his variations to maintain effectiveness.
“You know me very well Ravi Bhai. Rohit said in the huddle – both of you are starting, who wants to start. I put my hand up and said I will start from this side. Glad (it paid off). I have got some sort of an attachment with the new ball and I enjoyed bowling a little bit more speed. Loved it once again. (On what he was relying on when there was not much turn on offer) I had to go back and rewire the game," Ashwin told broadcasters after the close of Day 3's play.
“I am someone who comes from the top and like the ball to drop on the pitch. Somehow when I come to the Eastern part of the country I find that there is not enough bite out of the surface. The bounce is literally around shin height if I can say that, so had to bowl a lot of side spin, had to hammer into the pitch for the first part of the spell and later from the other side I felt there was a little bit more purchase. Had to literally rewire and it’s a mental switch I had to make,” he added.
Ashwin explained his initial reluctance to use the carrom ball, stating he preferred not to risk conceding additional runs before finding his groove. He also humorously commended Kuldeep Yadav's performance, joking that he snatched a five-wicket haul from the spinner. He further commented:
“For some strange reason my knee has been acting up. It just takes me 10-12 balls to warm up. I had a warmup before getting in as well. So once I got my length right that is when I wanted to try it (carrom ball) because I didn’t want to give away extra runs because we were chasing last, so every single run to chase is a big bonus. Phenomenal character (by the entire bowling unit)," the ace spinner stated.
I just stole the fifer away from Kuldeep: Ashwin
“I thought Kuldeep bowled brilliantly. What I loved about Kuldeep today was the way he worked on his run-up, momentum and all that sort of stuff, We all know how much revs he can put on the ball, what skill he has got. The change of pace that changes the trajectory, which he is willing to do now… I think he double the bowler that he is. Really happy for him. I just stole the fifer away from him. That’s how the game goes,” the 37-year-old further added.
Ravichandran Ashwin discussed the context of the game, mentioning that securing a victory after four challenging days would evoke an incredible feeling among the team. He also praised captain Rohit Sharma (24) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (16) for their crucial, undefeated 40-run stand during the chase.
Ravichandran Ashwin, set to play his 100th Test match in Dharamsala, expressed his enjoyment and appreciation for every moment spent with the team
“We batted almost until Lunch, if we had given up even 70-80 runs, the thought when we went back to the hotel last night, we would have taken it with both hands. You can take all the wickets you want, you can perform every time, but the best thing to happen is when the team wins. That feeling is surreal when you win a Test match after 4 tough days. I’d like to have that feeling tomorrow. Rohit and Jaiswal have started really well, hopefully they’ll carry on tomorrow. Sunny bhai, you’re being too generous, thanks you so much (on the 500-wicket milestone). I’m definitely past all these things now, I’ve enjoyed every single moment of being with this team and the longer it lasts, I’ll be very happy,” Ashwin signed off.
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