Dubai
Ravichandran Ashwin is the man of the moment in international cricket. A day after winning the top awards from International Cricket Council (ICC) of ‘Cricketer of the Year’ as well as ‘Test Cricketer of the Year,’ the articulate Indian all-rounder was in Dubai on a business commitment.
In an exclusive chat with Gulf News, arguably the best off-spinner in world cricket spoke at length on his craft and revealed that his rise as the best among international cricketers wasn’t just an accident but a well-planned effort.
Excerpts:
Does it really matter for you to have a spinning track to be effective?
I don’t think it is necessary (to have a wicket of liking) because the last couple of series that we played we hardly had wickets where it spun at all. I think it is very crucial that the pitch needs to take its due course of deterioration over the five days for the spinners to come on their own and try and win games, which to a certain extent happened over the last couple of Test series in the last year. We had few instances where the wicket has spun from day one or day two. I think those are also part of challenging and testing conditions. When Test matches can finish in two days in Edgbaston, then why not at Nagpur?
Do you do a lot of thinking and adjustment when you have to shift from Twenty20 format to Test cricket?
It is quite hard and actually I think it is pretty emotionally draining when it comes to switching between formats. You have to make sweeping changes over a few days to try and come to terms with what the kind of format you are playing. You can be flogged on a particular day for about 40 to 50 runs in four overs in a T20 game and still have the stomach to be able to come out for the next T20 game and bowl with a lot of confidence. You need to have the trust in yourself to pick up those match winning wickets. So you go through a bit of an emotional rollercoaster rides switching between formats. That is the demands of the modern game and who are we to complain?
You have tried carrom ball delivery and different types of deliveries. Do you think it is important for a bowler to keep on trying to master different types of deliveries?
I believe that with T20 format gaining importance over the years, a bowler, batter, fielder and a cricketer in overall sense must be very adaptable. Once upon a time when T20 cricket was launched they said multiple utility cricketers will be very useful — people who can bat and bowl. I think there will be a time when people, may have to do three to four things like bowl off spin, leg spin and even a bit of medium pace. It’s just a matter of time these things happen because you would need that kind of flexibility within the team. I think there are no limitations to try and being innovative when it comes to the shortest formats of the game. I have definitely embarked on a journey where I can spin the ball both ways and be a genuine leg and off spinner.
You have improved your batting drastically. Is it that any particular tip helped you gain more confidence?
My belief that I can bat is the most important thing as far as my batting goes. I always knew I could bat and could play a few shots. The question was whether I had the resolve to try and consume the amount of balls that I need to consume to play match defining knocks. Before I got into this season, I wanted to genuinely contribute with the bat.
When I thought I should contribute I realised that it is more mental than physical. If I am mentally prepared then I will put in the physical yards. I trained a lot harder than what I have in my life and the results were there to see. Whenever there were testing times I could put my mind into it because I was physically fit enough to take the challenge.
Have you ever interacted with the four great Indian spinners? Did you ever watch the spin quartet on TV to imbibe any traits?
Unfortunately no. My interaction has been limited to only Bishan Bedi. He is a lovely man and I enjoyed his company. He is very straightforward and honest.
We had a couple of interactions but there is no opportunity for a cricketer of this particular generation to have so much time to be actually able to go and spend time with stalwarts of the game. The amount of cricket that we play, it is not that easy so I think learning curve or a learning graph of your own self is very important to sustain and adapt in the modern days.
How did you manage your studies and get an Engineering degree despite your passion for cricket?
I was not a great student, but a reasonably good student. The first year I joined Engineering it was a reality check on me. I was hit by a huge set back in my cricketing career as all along in my junior cricket, I was the blue eyed boy and my name was up there whenever selection came up. The year I joined Engineering I went through a bad time there were a few selection issues and all.
Studying Engineering in Chennai wasn’t that easy as I had to travel 40km every day. It was actually a reality check and I weighed up both the options. It isn’t that I did not like Engineering but I decided to devote more time to cricket while I try and managed Engineering. I wanted myself to be writing one day R. Ashwin B. Tech than R. Ashwin, 12th standard. So I went through that journey and went onto to get my Engineering degree and I feel the Engineering course transformed me into a better cricketer.
Do you think the present Indian team can scale to greater heights?
We just started and we just touched the tip of an iceberg. There is a long distance that we can cover with this team. It is a team with a wonderful attitude and wonderful individuals. I think a good Test team requires a lot of great characters in the game. We have got some amazing characters in this team and I can only see sky as the limit. Yes, we will have setbacks and face tough times but I think this team has it in them to actually strive to become the best team.
What do you feel about Jayant Yadav who is also an off spinner and an all-rounder like you?
Jayant is a lovely bloke and a very avid learner. He loves asking questions and he is a very refreshing change in terms of the number of people with I had encountered with and had conversations.
He is almost like a twin brother. I enjoy having conversation with him and he has a wonderful career.
Indian team coach Anil Kumble has always praised you and how is it to have someone, who was a master spinner, as the coach?
When you get good compliments from the legends of the game you really feel humble and it is a great motivation. I think more than anything what strikes me the most about Anil is the fact that he is extremely committed to what he does. Despite whatever happens the previous day he is only focused on the next day and that is one of the reasons I think why he went on to achieve what he did.
The most striking similarity between both of us is the amount of criticism we both have received for being flat bowlers and the way we managed to stride through those things.
When we both stand in the same dressing room, we feel we are leg spinning and off spinning twins standing.
