‘Make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first’ – comparison between Ashwin’s century vs six against Bangladesh

Spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin hit a match-defining century in the first innings of the first Test against Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Playing in front of his home crowd, the 38-year-old made 113 runs in the first innings but most importantly, built a crucial partnership of 199 runs alongside Ravindra Jadeja, which helped the hosts post 376 runs in the first innings.

In the second innings as well, India batted skilfully. The Rohit Sharma-led team reached their target of 515 runs thanks to centuries from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Bangladesh’s batsmen got off to a strong start on Day 4, but Ashwin turned things around by taking six wickets in the last over to assist the team win by a commanding 280 runs.

After the match, Ravichandran Ashwin said that he still prioritises bowling above getting wickets

He said that batting comes easy to him and that he has liked it despite occasional struggles. Because it’s still a work in progress, he continued, getting wickets is far more significant to him.

Not until day two did the significance of the first day’s knock really dawn on me. I’m glad that I also managed to pick up a couple wickets today. I always put bowling first since it’s how I make a living. The most of the time, I think like a bowler, but when I go out with a bat in my hand, I try very hard to think like a hitter. Although I’m naturally good at hitting, I have occasionally had trouble with my thoughts getting ahead of me. I made an effort to control it. I’ve been able to separate the two over the past few years, but it’s still a work in progress, Ashwin added.

Also Read: For their second Test matchup with Bangladesh, India will field the same team

With the victory, India has cemented their position atop the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. With a 71.67 victory %, they are presently leading the leaderboard.