Experienced Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared insights on his remarkable innings during the ongoing Test match against Bangladesh. He expressed the significance of playing in front of his home crowd and credited his positive mindset, developed through participation in the TNPL, for his century.
Ashwin emerged as a standout performer for the Indian team on Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh. Despite a shaky start with early wickets falling, Ashwin's resilient performance steered his team towards a strong finish, ensuring they ended the day on a positive note.
Batting at No.8, Ashwin showcased exceptional control and precision, guiding the ball with finesse to deliver a pivotal innings for his team. His impressive display culminated in his 6th Test century, earning him well-deserved applause. Finishing the day unbeaten with 102 runs off 112 balls, including 10 fours and 2 sixes, Ashwin's contribution propelled the team to a total of 339 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.
Reflecting on his innings, Ashwin expressed gratitude for the fond memories he has at Chepauk. He acknowledged his focused preparation on batting prior to the Test, drawing inspiration from the aggressive style of Rishabh Pant. In a conversation with broadcasters, Ashwin elaborated on his approach, highlighting his dedication to enhancing his batting skills.
"Always a special feeling to play in front of the home crowd. This is a ground I completely love to play cricket in. It's given me a lot of wonderful memories. The last time I got a hundred, you were the coach Ravi bhai (Ravi Shastri). It does feel special. It helps that I have come back at the back of a T20 tournament (TNPL) and worked quite a bit on my batting.
"Of course, I have always been wafting my bat around outside off-stump. Worked on a few things and a surface like this with a bit of spice, if you're going after the ball, might as well go after it hard like Rishabh does."
Ashwin discussed the pitch conditions and praised Ravindra Jadeja for his support during his innings, hailing him as the best Test batter. Ashwin elaborated on Jadeja's invaluable contribution, emphasizing his crucial role in their success.
"It's an old Chennai surface with a bit of bounce and carry. The red soil pitch allows you to play a few shots if you are willing to just get in line and give it a bit of a tonk when there's width. He (Jadeja) was of real help; there was a point in time when I was sweating and getting a bit tired, but Jaddu noticed it quickly and guided me through that phase.
"Jaddu has been one of our best batters for our team in the last few years. His being there was pretty solid, and he was also very helpful in terms of telling me that we don't have to convert twos into threes, which was helpful for me."
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