The fifth and final Test between India and England will mark Ravichandran Ashwin’s 100th Test in his international career. Ashwin, the ace Indian spinner, has opened up about a pivotal moment in his career that helped him to improve his game. Ashwin is geared up to play his 100th Test game, starting March 7, Thursday in Dharamsala. Despite various ups and downs in his storied career, the 37-year-old has remained a constant in India’s red-ball setup for over ten years. The veteran spinner recently achieved a milestone in the longest format of the game, completing his 500th Test wicket in the third match of the series. Ashwin became the ninth player and the second Indian bowler, following legendary Anil Kumble, to reach 500 Test wickets.
The right-arm spinner, who can also contribute useful runs with the bat, will become the 14th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches, and he will enter the contest with high spirits after registering a fifer in the previous encounter at Ranchi. Ashwin, who made his Test debut in 2011, was criticized for his poor performance in the 2012 Test series against England, India’s last series defeat at home in the longest format.
Ashwin took 14 wickets in four Tests, the fourth most in the series; nevertheless, his average was 52.64, and he proved expensive against Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen. He conceded 737 runs throughout four tests, with the best figure of 3/80. That game was a turning point in my career but it also helped me to improve my game from there, Ashwin admitted in the press conference.
That series vs England at home, where Cook and Pietersen scored runs. Can well be the turning point for me. There were talks of me getting dropped. It was a wonderful lesson for me to improve say 5%. I knew what I had to correct. Since then, it has been addressing downs, Ashwin said. Meanwhile, the cricketer from Chennai rated his performance against England in Birmingham on the 2018 tour as one of the best as he picked up seven wickets in that match.
One of my finest spells in Test cricket has to be 2018-19 in Birmingham, he added. 21 years ago, I was here playing u19 cricket for two months. It is pretty cold, will take more time for fingers to adjust. That’s the beauty of it, the unknown, he concluded.
