During the first Test match between India and Bangladesh, Ravichandran Ashwin reminisced about some of his happy times spent playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The off-spinner for Tamil Nadu, who has played four Test matches at his home venue so far, described the encounter against England as unique and recalled the thrilling India vs. England match that took place during the Covid-19 break.
“That matchup with England was unique. It was the first time the audience had returned, and I was greeted in a way that exceeded my expectations. It was really special for me that the match worked out the way it did. For me, Chennai has always held great significance. It is full of amazing memories, both past and present,” Ashwin said to the official broadcasters.
Earlier this year, Ashwin took against England in his 100th Test match. The 38-year-old is second only to Anil Kumble (619) in the history of Indian wicket-takers in the longest format of the game with 516 scalps. Ashwin talked about how much effort and commitment it takes to keep up strong performances, particularly as one gets older.
I love playing cricket, and I’ve relished every second I’ve spent on the pitch. Although age is only a number, the amount of work you do throughout time has an impact. To get that edge, you have to put in more effort,” he stated.
A red soil pitch will provide bowlers more bounce and value.- Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin claimed that the red-soil pitch used for the opening Test would provide strong bounce for the bowlers. He praised the MA Chidambaram Stadium for having excellent fields for Test matches.
“The pitch has always been good for Test matches. Except for the match versus England, most of these games have seen enormous scores. It felt like 500 against 500 in the match against Australia. There will be bounce and value for the bowlers because we’re playing on a red soil field once more, Ashwin said.
In addition, Ashwin stated that Bangladesh is becoming a better team every day and that, given their most recent 2-0 victory in Pakistan, they should no longer be considered the underdogs.
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Bangladesh has demonstrated that they are a young team. Their recent victory over Pakistan was remarkable, and they posed a threat to us when we played them in Bangladesh. You can’t call Bangladesh underdogs anymore, but I’ve always loved watching underdogs play,” Ashwin said.
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