The drum beats began in England. While India slumped from one defeat to another and the tale got worse in the One Day Internationals too, R. Ashwin was asked two standard questions in a press conference — when will you play Tests?, how will you find a place when Harbhajan Singh is still there?
The queries reflected twin aspects — the hungry journalist's need for a headline-grabbing quote and it also reiterated the fact that Ashwin is part of the great Indian spin legacy with his immediate predecessor being Harbhajan though the senior off-spinner still remains in contention.
Ashwin, much like the manner in which he has bowled through his first-class career and in his latest success — the first Test against the West Indies at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground, handled the inquisition with ease.
He spoke about his exposure to first-class cricket and also mentioned that usually two off-spinners were not fielded in a Test.
Ashwin's nine for 128 here should have effectively silenced those peering backwards but the ‘mighty Harbhajan' bogey was raised in the post-match press conference and again Ashwin stuck to the right path and said: “When I am given my duties I need to live up to my conscience.”
The pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground evoked varying reactions but there was unanimity in the view that ‘it had nothing for the bowlers and the batsmen.' And to excel on such a track and prise out nine batsmen, including that incisive six for 47 in the second innings, reveals a man, who has the skill to excel in all formats of the game, cutting across different surfaces.
Ashwin is known to assess the conditions quickly and align his radar accordingly.
He tried to do that in England where he said that the ‘ball hangs a bit in the air' and out here where the pace off the pitch remained sluggish, he worked on increasing his ‘air-speed.'
IPL exploits
The 25-year old with 35 first-class matches and 143 wickets under his belt, has often hogged the limelight because of his exploits for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
The tight line, the wickets and the refusal to blink against big-hitters like Chris Gayle has given Ashwin the needed ‘top-of-mind' recall but it has also bred the unfortunate stereotype of him only being creator of batting pauses in a frenzied Twenty20 world.
Yes, he is also part of a land that has produced men, who invest magic into a spinning ball and the comparison with past masters has been a millstone that trailed Anil Kumble and even Harbhajan for a while as old-timers reverted to their famous quartet led by Bishan Singh Bedi.
A member of that quartet and a legend in his own right, E.A.S. Prasanna praised the latest off-spinner who has lit up Indian cricket.
“I am impressed with the way Ashwin bowled in the first Test. His line and length was impeccable, his basics were right and with his extra height, he is able to bowl that carrom ball at a particular length,” Prasanna said.
Positive attitude
W.V. Raman, former Tamil Nadu coach and now guiding the Bengal squad, has had a tremendous influence on Ashwin's formative years and he believes that the youngster has the ability to perform at the highest level.
“His has been the story of progressive growth. He is very positive in his attitude and he has already shown that he can adapt to high-pressure situations like he did in the IPL.
“In the first Test, there was a touch of nerves initially which is understandable and he settled down to bowl well.
He also worked on his length because in the shorter format, line is mandatory and in Tests, the length is mandatory and the line comes next,” Raman said.
These are still early days but Ashwin needs to breathe free and so far he has shown the remarkable ability to cut through the fluff.
Hopefully he will add an eminently readable chapter to India's tale of spin.
