Ravichandran Ashwin played a major role in my rebirth, says R Malolan

Right-arm off-spinner R Malolan had a season to forget this year as his 2016-17 campaign did not go according to plans. The bowler is on a mission to lift himself up from the fall and make his mark once again. Going by the full name of Malolan Rangarajan, the bowler has bagged 51 wickets in 10 matches in the TNCA first division league. His massive performance in the TNCA includes six 5 wicket hauls and a magical spell of 6/17 in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament against Kerala.

However, the bowler credits his sensational rebirth to Indian international and senior Ravichandran Ashwin who also hails from Chennai. Malolan took the wise decision to take some advice from the master of the carrom ball when Ashwin was on a break during the Indian Premier League just before the ICC Champions Trophy this year.

What Malolan said:

Speaking about the same Malolan said to TOI “Last season, I was dropped from the Tamil Nadu XI. Although I was matured enough to handle things, I was disappointed. It was a reality check. I usually work with Prasanna (South African team analyst) on my bowling.This time I wanted to pick the brains of Ashwin. I asked him if I could work with him and he immediately obliged. I trained with him for about 10 sessions in three weeks’ time at the Gen-Next Academy ,”

Ashwin’s valuable suggestion to acquire a bit of momentum in his run up worked well for the 28-year-old.  “I told him what I was lacking. We worked on my run-up and tried to get more momentum through the crease. He spoke about having control on flat tracks, confidence factor and more. I can feel the difference now. I’m able to generate more off the wicket because of the momentum I gather in the run-up. The wickets have also come at a fair clip,” added Malolan.

It was clear to the bowler that this was the best time to take in as much as possible from Ashwin, who is hailed as one of the greatest off spinners in the world in the present scenario.

“I wasn’t just working on bowling with him. I trained alongside him. I was able to figure out his thought process. The man has taken 290-odd Test wickets in 50 matches. I wanted to learn everything possible from him as an understudy. It was a great learning experience and I’m grateful to him for passing on the knowledge,” said Malolan.

“We are driven so much by performances, at times we miss out on enjoying the sport. Basu, my mentor, reminded me of how I started playing cricket. Muralitharan’s words were a boost during a Thiruvallur match. I’m happy now if the ball lands where I want it to and a perfect release from my hand gives me more satisfaction,” he concluded.