"The age factor does not come to mind" - Sanjay Manjrekar extols Ravichandran Ashwin after IND vs BAN 2024 1st Test
Team India's veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shone with both the bat and the ball in the side's recently concluded Test series opener against Bangladesh in Chennai. He notched up his sixth century, scoring 113 runs in the first innings.
The seasoned campaigner was the pick of the Indian bowlers in the final innings, claiming a stunning six-wicket haul. Ashwin was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant all-round performance as the hosts clinched a 280-run victory.
Following the match, Sanjay Manjrekar mentioned that Ashwin has successfully proved that age isn't a factor for him. Lauding the 38-year-old, the cricketer-turned-commentator told ESPNcricinfo:
"I watch the match and accordingly I assume the age of a player, with the way they run and play. MS Dhoni, in his prime, when he was no longer a youngster, he was the fastest in running between the wickets. In the same way, when I watch Ashwin bowl and the way he bats, age is just a number. The age factor does not come to mind when looking at his performances."
Manjrekar opined that Ashwin should take a cue from England's James Anderson on how to manage his workload towards the fag end of his career, adding:
"Just like how James Anderson's career progressed by taking rest consistently, Ashwin's career should also progress in the same way. As long as he keeps performing like this, he will always get motivation. I find it amazing that his bowling has never lost touch and he has batter with the same enthusiasm. When you have such a mind, the body has to follow it."
Ravichandran Ashwin earned widespread praise for his performance in the Chennai Test. His knock in the first innings helped India register an impressive 376-run total despite a shaky start.
"Batting is something that comes naturally" - Ravichandran Ashwin
Speaking at the post-match presentation of the Chennai Test, Ravichandran Ashwin emphasized that he prioritizes his bowling, given that it's his primary skill.
He suggested that batting comes naturally and he has tried to strike a balance between the two skills in the last few years. Ashwin said:
"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."
Ravichandran Ashwin will next be seen in action in the upcoming second and final Test of the Bangladesh series. The match will be played in Kanpur from September 27.