IND vs ENG | ‘Not bad for an accidental spinner. From my dark phase where I stopped watching cricket to now’: Ashwin opens up on England’s Bazball challenge

“Not bad. Not a bad achievement. I was an accidental spinner.” R Ashwin offered the big-picture assessment of his milestone of 500 Test wickets, an assessment he has himself made a mockery of by his ambition, skill, passion, and making the fans expect a lot from him.

Like the way he has tackled the Bazball challenge. One match-turning spell in the chase at Vizag and four other innings (three completed) has seen him come off second-best. “It depends on what the yardsticks are,” Ashwin put matters in perspective.

“Honestly, I mean, the yardstick that I would apply is, how well one is bowling, how it is coming out of the hand, how much risk a batsman is having to take. And if you see a batsman sitting down and hitting the ball over slip, you would probably admire [it] yourself and say, ‘that’s the shot he wants to play if he wants to get to me,’ and all credit to them for doing it. They’re able to take the risk and spread the field and get the singles going. But that’s the way they want to play. We played four and a half sessions; [if] they want to get it done in two, so be it … I wouldn’t be too flustered because they haven’t been able to hit me to different parts [of the ground], which is what will [worry me]. I am clear on picking where they have to take a risk, such that I’m still bowling my best balls, and I thought even today, I got a really good spell going from the other side.”

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩! 👏 👏

Take A Bow, R Ashwin 🙌 🙌

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/FM0hVG5pje#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @ashwinravi99 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/XOAfL0lYmA

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 16, 2024

The cliche about great cricketers is that they enjoy stiff challenges and the satisfaction that comes when they crack them. “Are you enjoying this challenge?” the question came again and Ashwin would offer, “Yeah, I think so.”

And then deliver his rationale. “Barring that last day in Hyderabad, where driving became really tough – it’s been [the case that] you can literally plonk your foot down and drive on the up, and that’s been the kind of pitches [we have had]. It is supposed to be that way, and cash in if there is a fourth-innings possibility and the wicket deteriorates. The way they are playing is high-risk cricket and you would expect the rub of the green to go your way, like it did in Vizag.”

Ups and downs

But the landmark of 500 Test wickets is more than Ashwin the bowler in this series. It’s the overall emotional state that’s interesting. In the past, he has talked about his “dark phases” and how he had stopped watching cricket as he had fallen out of love with it. He would talk a bit about that phase after taking 500 wickets.

From number 1⃣ to 5⃣0⃣0⃣!@ashwinravi99‘s momentous Test journey in 📸📸

Tell us your favourite one 👇#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/r5Fr3sPsGy

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 16, 2024

“Where do I stand in my international cricket career? That changes every month so… Look, I’m really happy where I am in life. Forget it as just being in cricket. I’ve always fought a level of perception in my life. About what people think of me, but definitely in the last 5-6 years, I’ve actually not cared about it. I can’t keep proving everybody wrong or I can’t prove everybody right. I am in a really, really good space in my life and I want this to continue, and I don’t want to let go of the love for the game. At one point in my life, I was in a really dark space, and I didn’t want to watch the game, and that’s not where I want to go in my life ever again. I am happy to watch the game: last night, I watched Afghanistan-Sri Lanka play in the third ODI highlights, I watched live New Zealand versus South Africa. So I mean, this is who I want to be and I’m glad.”

A naughty question too came the way of the best half-sleeved off-spinner in India. Once in Bangladesh, he had bowled in full sleeves, and the question was asked whether he would attempt it one more time in this series. “That’s a click bait!” he would smile. “I am not getting into that! And no, I won’t be doing it”

For an “accidental spinner”, life has unfurled in a special way. “I wanted to be a batter all along. Life gave me a chance, and when I walked into the CSK dressing room, Muthiah Muralitharan didn’t want to bowl with the new ball, and eventually I got tossed the new ball. First-class career was pretty good, but nevertheless, the stage in the IPL made me visible to a lot of people, and I eventually got my Test debut. People doubted whether I could be a Test bowler, and yeah, 10-13 years later, not bad. Not a bad achievement, so I’m pretty glad.”

5⃣0⃣0⃣ reasons to celebrate 👏👏

Way to go, @ashwinravi99! 🙌#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/LTTwphmY8q

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 16, 2024

For a self-admittedly competitive cricketer, there is no denying that he would derive great joy if he can crack the Bazball code and deliver a win in Rajkot.

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