It has been a remarkable series against New Zealand for Ravichandran Ashwin with 20 wickets so far but India’s off-spinner says he has struggled to get into rhythm at the start of his spells
India’s ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowls during the third day of the Indore Test against New Zealand at Holkar Stadium yesterday. PIC/PTI
Indore: It has been a remarkable series against New Zealand for Ravichandran Ashwin with 20 wickets so far but India’s off-spinner says he has struggled to get into rhythm at the start of his spells.
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Ashwin bowled superbly yesterday to take six for 81 to skittle out the visitors for 299. “It’s very important for me to get into a good rhythm. Through this series I have not really started in a fine rhythm. I’m trying to get my alignment and rhythm properly, it’s taking me a few overs. Once I go through it, and when my body starts going completely into the ball, the spells start getting better, and that was one of the spells after lunch,” he said. India, who made a massive 557 for 5 declared, thus grabbed a lead of 258 to place themselves in the driver’s seat at the end of Day Three of the third Test. “It’s about getting into a good rhythm and being able to accelerate and get through the crease fast. So that’s what I really look forward to and once I get into a good rhythm, I think I can beat any batsman in the world. That’s where I stand right now,” said Ashwin, who is the second fastest bowler in the world to reach the 200 Test wicket landmark. “I came into a series with a plan, especially taking off from where Kane Williamson got out in Bangalore when they came here last year. He lunged forward and got out at slips. So that’s one of the things I thought I would repeat in this series,” he explained.
Although Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav ended wicketless, Ashwin praised the pace duo. “It (support) was very important, it was a very, very difficult wicket to bowl on. The way Shami and Umesh bowled in the morning, they never let go of the steam.” Ashwin also defended India’s strategy of not enforcing the follow on, saying both he and Jadeja were tired after bowling long spells.
“Because Jaddu and I had bowled almost 30 overs each and so it was very difficult to enforce the follow and so we had to bat. There is more time in the game, so it made sense to bat on,” he explained.
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