Ashwin has a ball in England, literally
BIRMINGHAM:He may have got into a gunfight with a knife as the saying goes, but Ravichandran Ashwin is delighted to make a mark in the Edgbaston Test, where he outshone pacers to emerge the most successful bowler with seven wickets.
Ashwin accounted for two big moments, bowling England opener Alastair Cook in both innings. “They were both same deliveries,” he laughed when asked about it after the game. But the bowler had gained both from understanding English conditions during his County stint with Worcestershire last year, learning to bowl the right speeds and lengths on seaming pitches, and the Dukes ball which he voted as his No 1. “For me it’s all about this mental space I find myself in. I don’t dwell much into the way I have bowled, it is in the past as of now. It is important to try and learn from this game and take it to the next.
“These are not conditions that are extremely suitable or tailormade for a spinner so I would like to take confidence out of this game and try and build on this.”
His minute study of conditions and the ball, including how the Dukes ball can be a bit slippery initially -- “it slips, if you have doubts you can ask Moeen Ali” – have all helped him put things together, despite joining up only ahead of the Test series.
Ashwin said he would not get carried away by the initial success, having managed three wickets after getting to play only in the last two Tests in 2014.