Ravichandran Ashwin says getting a five-wicket haul is like an addiction for him

Ashwin has been in incredible form lately for India

Ravichandran Ashwin has proven to be a match-winner ever since he made a comeback into the Indian team against Australia at Adelaide in 2014, helped by skipper Virat Kohli. The off-spinner has since picked up four successive man of the series awards.

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Ashwin said that picking up a 5-wicket haul is almost like an addiction for him now.

The Tamil Nadu off-spinner said that he wanted to prove his critics wrong in his quest to become the number one Test bowler. He said that his international journey has been a dream come true and mentioned that he was happy about what he has achieved so far.

Setting a benchmark is the path to success, says Ashwin

When asked about his key to success in the international arena, Ashwin said that it was more of moving past the criticism and also setting a benchmark for oneself. He was quoted as saying, "I think it is repeatedly trying to get over people criticising you for what you've not achieved and also a little bit of your own benchmarking which I've started to manage over a period of time."

Ashwin also spoke about the feeling of getting a 5-wicket haul, "Whenever I've gone out there, like every batsman wants to get a hundred, my aim is to get a five-wicket haul. That's like an addiction for me now. I try to get it but if I don't get it, it's a bit of a disappointment for me. I would say all in all, it's a bit of benchmarking which I've started to manage."

Adaptability is my strength – Ashwin

The right-hander said that one of his biggest strength has been his adaptability in the Tests lately.

"Adaptability is one of the biggest strengths that I have. To make decisions on the field, try and convince my captain to change fields, try and make him give that extra couple of overs. And also to a greater extent, I try to analyse batsmen about what their game plan is. These are my strengths on the field. I can try and make adjustments towards that," he was quoted as saying by India Today.

He further went on to add, "But one of my biggest changes or one of my biggest acceptances that I've had over the last two-three years is the fact that my communication and honesty has been a little bit better communicated to people."

Being dropped was a harsh lesson, says Ashwin

Ashwin mentioned that being left out of the playing XI in the Adelaide Test was a harsh lesson for him and felt that he was glad that he learned the lesson early in his career.

The lanky Tamil Nadu lad had this to say about the experience of being dropped, "It was a harsh lesson which everybody needs to go through. It depends on how you want to take it. If you want to take it in a sense that it's a personal decision and you're going to sulk around it, it's not going to get you anywhere.”

“There are going to be people who will come and lift you up and people who are going to give you a hand. But it's not necessarily a soft hand like your parents put around you. In a hard world, in a professional world, you have to take these as lessons and keep moving forward rather than complaining."

The off-spinner also mentioned that he was working hard on his fitness in order to ensure that he stayed fit for the tight international schedule that is lying ahead of the Indian team.