After taking 11 wickets and amassing 114 runs in the two Test matches against Bangladesh, Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was named Player of the Series. In his illustrious Test career, Ashwin has won 11 POTS awards, all of which he deserves.
Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player who is now a broadcaster, recently discussed how bowling in Test cricket is more akin to a goldsmith’s craft than a blacksmith’s. He went on to discuss “actual bowling of Test cricket,” which he said Ashwin did brilliantly in the recently finished series.
This is Ravichandran Ashwin’s area of expertise. You must discover that in Test cricket, monotony can be an amazing asset. You must continue to bowl the same game at the same location on a regular basis. This is a goldsmith’s game, not a blacksmith’s. A blacksmith strikes with great force, producing a loud noise in the process, but the goldsmith only works on one spot at a time, eventually producing an exquisite piece of jewellery. This is how test cricket is actually bowled; you keep bowling in the same location to confuse the batter and force him to try something different. “We’ve observed individuals leaving while engaging in alternative activities,” Chopra said in a Colours Cineplex conversation.
Chopra also revealed the reasons behind Ashwin’s success, citing his record in the longest format of the game as evidence.
“Balls that fall in the good length region result in wickets because you have to play those deliveries primarily forward. You’ve neutralised the spinner when the balls can be played off the back foot against spin. Pulling you forward indicates that the bowler is pitching the ball a little bit more full, allowing it to stay in the air for a longer period of time. You have more alternatives when you bowl fuller. You may get caught, bat-pad, and leg-before,” Chopra said.
Aakash Chopra highlights the variations between Ashwin’s bowling in Kanpur and Chennai.
Because the two matches took place on different pitches, Chopra drew attention to the way Ashwin adjusted his tactics.
Additionally, he has executed it on two distinct pitches. Because the strategies for taking wickets vary, bowling on black-soil pitches differs greatly from bowling on red-soil pitches. On red-soil pitches, you get edges, and they carry. Because the ball sits a little low here, you get more leg-before and bowled,” Chopra continued.
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Ashwin now has 11 POTS awards, matching the record held by the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan. If Ashwin can replicate his form in the forthcoming series against New Zealand, he will probably top the charts despite having played 19 fewer series.
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