By: Drcricket7 Staff
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got the wicket of Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara four times in four innings. And all these dismissals were almost similar in nature – a good length away going deliveries that took the edge of left-hander’s bat.
To India’s delight, Ashwin also ensured that Kumar Sangakkara had a little to do in the last two Test matches of his career. Incidentally, this Sri Lankan great isn’t the only batsman Ravichandran Ashwin had scripted a successful spell. From Galle itself, he has been bowling well and had troubled quite of few of the Lankan top-order batsmen.
So what makes Ravichandran Ashwin a special bowler? It’s certainly his accuracy to hit the right areas. Like in ODI cricket, he doesn’t try too many things these days in Test cricket. He keeps it simple by bowling a nagging line and length.
He had tried a similar approach in the last Australian tour without getting much purchase. But the Chennai based off-spinner wasn’t losing his sleep over it. If the rumour mills have it, Ravichandran Ashwin even hired a cricket field in Chennai to bowl for four hours on non-match days.
Later, it turned out to be a cricket clinic, which Ashwin has taken on lease to run his cricket academy, where he spends hours honing his bowling skills. “This also shows the kind of goodwill Ashwin has now in Indian cricket,” a board official, who didn’t wish to be quoted, told Drcricket7.
But Ashwin being Ashwin isn’t too worried about things happening beyond the boundary. Things he can’t control, he doesn’t waste time thinking about it. But on Monday, if India is looking to level the series against Sri Lanka by winning the second Test match at the P Sara Oval, it’s has to be Ashwin who will have to wield the magic.
India are blessed with some of the players like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in the Test team, but Ashwin is the most important player to lead a pack of bowlers who are supposed to take those twenty wickets needed to win a Test match.
Coming to Ajinkya Rahane, it doesn’t matter where he bats outside India, he will pass the test with flying colours. On Sunday, he made his 4th Test ton and helped India to extend a huge lead. Hope, India will come back strongly in the series with a second Test win through Ashwin and his leggie Amit Mishra!
