Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra hailed Ravichandran Ashwin’s performances in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Ashwin was awarded Player of the Series for the 11th time in Test cricket, equaling legendary Muttiah Muralitharan’s record. Ashwin scored 114 runs in two innings at an average of 57 and also scalped 11 wickets in the series against Bangladesh, the joint most with Jasprit Bumrah.
The all-rounder scored a match-winning knock of 113 runs in the first innings of the opening Test at his home ground of MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Ashwin added a fine alliance of 199 runs with Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 86 runs after India were reeling at 144-6. Furthermore, he returned with impressive figures of 6-88 in the second essay and thus bagged Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
“Ravichandran Ashwin’s specialty is this. You need to learn that being boring is a fantastic thing in Test cricket. You need to keep bowling the same thing repeatedly at the same place. This is not a blacksmith’s game but a goldsmith’s game,” Aakash Chopra said on Colors Cineplex.
The renowned commentator likened Ashwin’s bowling to goldsmith’s craft.
“A blacksmith hits hard, makes like that and the noise is also very loud, but the goldsmith keeps working on a single area, and then a very nice jewelry piece is created. This is actual bowling of Test cricket, where you keep bowling in one area so that the batter gets troubled and tries something different. We have seen people getting out while doing something different,” Chopra explained.
Chopra added that Ashwin gets his wickets on good length deliveries and he reaps rewards for bowling consistently in one area.
“You get wickets on balls that fall in the good length area because you have to mostly go forward to play those deliveries. When the balls can be played off the back foot against spin, it means you have neutralized him (the spinner),” he said.”If the bowler is pulling you forward, it means he is allowing the ball to remain in the air for some time and pitching it slightly fuller. When you bowl fuller, multiple options get opened up. You have chances of bat-pad, leg-before, and catches,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
India will next take on Bangladesh in the opening T20I at the New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Gwalior on Sunday.
