“I make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first” - PoTM Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to his 6fer in IND vs BAN 2024 1st Test
Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his delight after picking up a six-wicket haul in the second innings, having ended wicketless in the first essay of the opening Test against Bangladesh. The legendary off-spinner returned with figures of 6/88 as India beat the visitors by 280 runs at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, September 22.
Ashwin had also delivered with the bat, scoring 113 runs off 133 balls in the first innings against Bangladesh. The 38-year-old was adjudged the Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
Ravichandran Ashwin said in the post-match show (via Cricbuzz):
“I make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first all the time. I think like a bowler mostly but I have made a conscious effort to think like a batter when I walk out with a bat in my hand.”
“Batting is something that comes naturally, but yet I have struggled sometimes with my thought getting ahead of myself. I have tried to manage it. Over the last few years, I have managed to compartmentalize both, but it is a work in process,” he added.
“It was an opportunity to fight and dig in deep” – Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to his sixth Test century
Ravichandran Ashwin further expressed his gratitude for being able to deliver with the bat during the opening Test. He also credited Ravindra Jadeja (86) with whom he shared a 199-run partnership for the seventh wicket after the hosts were reduced to 144-6 in the first innings. On this, Ashwin said in the post-match show:
“It was an opportunity to fight and dig in deep, that's one of the reasons why we all play the game. I have seen so many of my teammates do that in the past. I just kept it really simple, have to thank Jadeja for what he did, he just took me through the tough phases of the innings. Quite a special knock on the first day didn't sink in until day two. Glad I ended up with a few wickets today as well.”
“Every time I play in Chennai in front of this crowd, it's an amazing feeling for me. I have watched a lot of Test cricket and international cricket sitting in those stands. To play in front of those stands, it's a beautifully renovated stadium now, that itself is a special feeling for me. I am probably enjoying my game because of what I am doing and not because of what I want to get out of it,” he added.
Ravichandran Ashwin will next be seen in action during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, which starts on September 27.