Ravichandran Ashwin becomes a medium pacer ahead of the second Test

India went down to the Proteas in the first Test at Newlands, Cape Town by a margin of 72 runs. The defeat left fans devastated after a prolific bowling performance from the team. The Indian batsmen were the main cause of the disappointment of the fans but amidst the defeat, there were some interesting things to look forward to in India’s practice session ahead of the second Test.

The players were sweating it out in the nets. KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma were spotted training in the nets. Top order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and all-rounder Hardik Pandya also marked their presence in the nets. The fascinating thing about the net session was Ravichandran Ashwin, who was seen practising medium pace. Ravindra Jadeja who was ill during the first test was also seen chatting with his teammates during the practice session.

Spinner turned Pacer

In the past, there have been instances when former leg-spinner Anil Kumble turned himself into a medium pacer on overseas tours where the pitches would favour the quicks rather than the spinners. This can be a similar tactic which Ravichandran Ashwin may use in the next test. Ashwin has many variations up his sleeve and always looks to add the extra bit in his bowling. In the past, he has been seen practising the leg-spinner and the carrom ball.

The Indian bowling unit was at their best in the first Test at Newlands, the Pacers were impressive throughout the course of the test match. The 31-year-old off spinner took two wickets in the first innings of the first Test, he will look to succeed further in the next Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. The previous Test held at this stadium was when hosts South Africa played the Blackcaps, the spinners ended up picking just five wickets in the Test match.

This might well be the reason for Ashwin to practice medium pace ahead of the second Test. It remains to see if Ashwin was bowling medium pace for fun or is it a part of the team’s tactics. We’ll find out soon when Team India take on The Proteas in the 2nd Test.

Watch the video here

Just for fun – when @ashwinravi99 decided to bowl seam instead of spin #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/7bsCpndNkk

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2018