Ashwin means 'light' in Sanskrit. And, right-arm off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin did shine bright spreading joy in Team India dressing room. The 30-year-old Tamil Nadu cricketer once again did what he does best. He produced another breath taking performance with the ball that fetched India, another Test series win at home. Ashwin took 7/59 in the second innings with some top class off-spin that got India another victory over New Zealand, a 3-0 white wash in the three-Test series.
A match haul of 13-wickets by Ashwin guided India to a 321-run win in a lop-sided but entertaining game on Day Four of the third Test at the Holkar Stadium here on Tuesday. New Zealand chasing a mountainous target of 475, succumbed to the guile and the sharp turn of the master finger spinner. The Kiwis, who went into tea at 38/1, fell like nine pins, literally, losing as many wickets in the last session, that saw the home side through to an easy win, with a day to spare.
Ashwin has been a major reason behind India's success in Test cricket of late, especially on the turning tracks at home. It has been due to the offie that captain Virat Kohli has been able to win five successive games at home, two against South Africa last year and three now.
Ashwin was expected to play a key role for India in Test series and in the long season with big teams like England and Australia in the months ahead. The bowler lived up to the expectation once again, ending with 27 wickets in three matches that also fetched him the man of the series award. "I've got a few man of the match awards, so have the boys. This is much more special. The last time India got the mace, I was watching on TV. The key right now is maintaining our game. We're working really hard on the areas needing improvement and we've been able to correct the wrongs quickly and we'd like to continue that and give the people what they want to see," Kohli said at the post match presentation ceremony.
For the record this is his seventh player of the series award. He has taken 165 wickets in those seven series since he made his Test debut against West Indies in 2011.
The Kiwis, who lacked the experience of playing on turners, were expected to be on the back foot against the top class Indian spinners.
Not even once did Ashwin let the Kiwis breathe easy. Even as the wickets favoured the spinners, the off-spinner smartly bowled full with minimum variations except a few carom balls, exploiting their weakness against spin.
The Kiwis struggled against Ashwin. If they went on the front foot, they would edge it to the slips or caught by the close-in fielders. Even playing on the back foot was not be a safe option, ask New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who lost his off-stump while trying to cut Ashwin on the back foot.
However, Ashwin should also thank his partner Ravindra Jadeja who had maintained pressure from the other end with some tight spells. Before Ashwin finished off the game for a 3-0 win, India No.3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, too, made an important contribution slamming his eighth ton, an unbeaten 101, and a first in the series, after three half centuries as India went onto declare at 216 for three.
Comeback man Gautam Gambhir, who failed in the first innings, scored a half century before getting out to Jeetan Patel.
