Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday expressed his plan of tricking Australia batters to play drive-shots and prompt slips-up from them on a sluggish Nagpur track worked well as the home side won the opening game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by an inning and 132 runs in Nagpur.
India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday expressed his plan of tricking Australia batters to play drive-shots and prompt slips-up from them on a sluggish Nagpur track worked well as the home side won the opening game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by an inning and 132 runs in Nagpur.
Australia suffered a bad defeat after being all-out for just 91 in their second innings in the session between Lunch and Tea. Ashwin was India’s highest wicket-taker with a figure of 8 for 79, with a five-for in Australia’s second innings on the third day on Saturday.
“The wicket was very slow. I have been saying this all through the Test. Not one of those pitches where you might get the gloves ripping off at short leg or silly point. You need to get the batsman driving on this wicket,”
Ashwin said after the match.
“So I thought giving those (Australia batters) one of two balls to drive, induce them into shots and probably induce the other half of the bat as well.”
The senior player discussed the spinners of the home team as they can also bat well, as shown by a man of the match Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
“To say (that I got) massive help from Jadu will be an understatement. He has been in phenomenal form. In the last three years, the way he has batted and bowled, we don’t need to talk about how well he moves on the field and how much addition he has been to the team, he has just been a fantastic cricketer.
“I am so thankful that I got a bowling partner like him. Axar is also no ordinary bowler either, so we have a very good set of spinners and we all can also bat,”
said Ashwin.
Asked about the dominant win against a top side like Australia, he said,
“I will credit our batting unit, they kept them (the Australian team) long on the field. It was going to be difficult for them to come out of the bat. The early wickets set the ton for us today.”
In India’s first innings, Ashwin came to bat at No. 3 as night watchman after opener KL Rahul’s dismissal on the first day on Thursday. He went on to score 23 runs.
Asked if he volunteered to come out at number three, Ashwin said,
“It has been going on for a while. I struggle to cope sitting inside and watching the guys bat in the middle. Sometimes it is too nervous for me these days.
“I have been asking for an opportunity to go out and bat early on. There was an opportunity (in this Test). It presented itself. My friend Pujara just let me go as a night watchman with 20 minutes to go (on the first day) and I gladly took the opportunity.
“I look forward to going out and bat. I just feel that I am getting into a good position. If and when I get an opportunity, I am always ready. And knowing Puji (Pujara), I think it is going to happen (in the future).”
Ashwin expressed Australia would look to bounce back in the series in the upcoming matches.
“I think they (Australia) will introspect and come out with different plans in the next game. I have experimented a lot over the years but I have also learned to stay in the moment and stay then and it is also important.
“You just keep trying and plan. So, I expect Australia to come back hard and strong. They are a world-class side, we all know that.”
The second Test of the four-match series starts in Delhi on February 17.