Ravichandran Ashwin's 'mental switch' keeps India ahead in Ranchi
Ashwin recorded his 35th Test five-wicket haul while playing in his 99th Test, which ties with legendary cricketer Anil Kumble for the most for India.
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Ravichandran Ashwin, who took only one scalp in the first innings, staged a stunning comeback in England's second innings at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The experienced off-spinner Ashwin claimed a five-wicket haul that saw the Ben Stokes-led side bowled out for just 145. He opened the bowling for the second time this series, taking the wickets of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root before returning to dismiss Ben Foakes and James Anderson.
Reflecting on his performance, Ashwin claimed that he had to rewire the way he had to think about the match. He added that the surface didn't produce as much bounce, he had to "mental switch" and concentrate more on getting the ball to spin.
"So actually I had to go back and rewire the way I had to think about the game. I am someone who comes over the top, comes down on the ball. I like the ball to drop on the pitch. Somehow when I come to the eastern part of the country, I find that there is not enough bite out of the surface. The bounce is literally almost near the shin height, if I can say that. So I had to really go a lot of side spin. I had to hammer into the pitch for the first part of the spell. And later from the other side, I felt like there was a little bit more purchase. I had to literally rewire and it was a mental switch I had to make," Ashwin was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
He went on to say that he had delivered ten to twelve balls to warm up when at one point his knee was acting up. He now has picked up 170 wickets in 51 innings while opening the bowling at an average of 19.09. In addition, he recorded his 35th Test five-wicket haul while playing in his 99th Test, which ties with legendary cricketer Anil Kumble for the most for India.
"For some strange reason, my knee has been acting up. So it just takes me 10-12 balls to warm up. But I had a bit of warm up before getting in as well. So once I got my length right, that is when I wanted to really try it. I didn't want to give extra runs because they are chasing last. So every single run to chase is a big bonus," the 37-year-old added.
Ashwin praises Kuldeep, Jurel's contributions in fourth Test
In addition to Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Dhruv Jurel were crucial in enabling India to pull off a fantastic comeback when everything seemed hopeless. Notably, after being reduced to 177/7, it was Jurel's 90 and his 76-run partnership with Kuldeep allowed India to reach 307. Moreover, along with Ashwin, Kuldeep picked up four wickets to bowl England out for 145, which left India with a target of 192 to seal the series.
"I thought Kuldeep bowled brilliantly. What I loved about Kuldeep today was the way he worked on his run-up, momentum and all that sort of stuff. We all know how much revs he can put on the ball, what skill he has got. The change of pace that changes the trajectory, which he is willing to do now... I think he's double the bowler that he is. Really happy for him. I just stole the fifer away from him. That's how the game goes," said Ashwin.
"It was hard on him (Kuldeep) yesterday, we sent him to bat a bit too early than what he would have desired. I felt his defence was good, he showed a lot of grit and composure, kept the dressing room calm. And it was even better from Jurel I thought, for someone who was playing just his second Test match, he showed great composure, trusted his defence, had a great gameplan, didn't go bonkers, picked the right bowlers to hit, and yeah, it gave us a great boost. We batted almost until Lunch, if we had given up even 70-80 runs, the thought when we went back to the hotel last night, we would have taken it with both hands," he added.
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