With nine wickets from three matches against Sri Lanka, the wily off-spinner puts Aussie debacle behind to emerge as major threat as WorldT20 looms
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Sunday night after the 2-1 T20I series win against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam that India were "always a top contender in the shorter formats".
One of the vital ingredients that makes Dhoni's team a formidable unit in T20 is Ravichandran Ashwin, who has the first two best bowling figures by an Indian in T20 Internationals.
The 29-year-old off-spinner bowled India to a convincing series victory, picking up 4/8 in four overs against a depleted Sri Lankan side to better his own figures of 4/11 that he took against Australia in the 2014 ICC World T20 two years ago.
From being dropped for not winning ODIs last month in Australia to spinning India to series victory speaks volumes of Ashwin's abilities and the effort that he puts behind each delivery.
"If I'm not playing, I'm not playing. If I need to continue playing, I need to keep improving. I went and practiced harder, and when I got the chance, I wanted to do better. The reason I did not play was because I did not win a game for India. If I had won, I'd have played," Ashwin said during the T20Is in Australia last month end.
The Tamil Nadu off-spinner has come out as one of the most intelligent bowlers in world cricket across all formats. He is unafraid to toss the ball up, inviting the batsman out and in the bargain picking up a wicket. He has done it repeatedly during the home series, invariably striking in his first over with the new ball.
It is no ordinary effort to end with nine wickets in 11 overs in a three-match T20 series, averaging 3.88 and with an economy rate of 3.18. Ashwin said that he has variations with the new ball, using carrom ball and arm-ball early on. But how about the off-spinner picking up a wicket with a leg-break like he did in the second game in Ranchi when No. 7 Dasun Shanaka hoicked him straight to Suresh Raina at the long-off.
Ashwin appears to be unafraid of being hit for runs. He knows that in going for runs, he has a brighter chance of picking up wickets. This quality is something that sets great bowlers from the ordinary. Ask legendary Bishan Singh Bedi.
Ashwin told Sanjay Manjrekar at the presentation on Sunday night: "I have a couple of variations, have a good arm-ball, have a good carrom-ball. I am trying to keep the batsman guessing and if I get a wicket or two in the bargain, I become a completely different bowler in the first six with the fielders inside the circle. I am going to challenge the batsman."
Challenge the batsmen, Ashwin did. It was a pleasing sight to see the white ball dance to Ashwin's tunes, drawing inexperienced Niroshan Dickwella out only to have him stumped in the first over in Visakhapatnam. Or for that matter, toss the ball up and trap vastly experienced Tillakaratne Dilshan in front with the turn when the veteran plays for the straight one.
"I always had the courage to go for runs. I always had the courage to flight the ball," Ashwin said.
It was only in the home series against South Africa last year end that Ashwin won man of the series for his 31 wickets in four Tests including the rain-abandoned game in Bengaluru.
To be back among wickets and the player of the series award is something that the opposition should sit up and take note of, especially when the ICC World T20 will be played in India.
He is a potent threat in the subcontinent conditions. He has also worked on his bowling to become an improved bowler overseas. That he was dropped for the remaining three ODIs in Australia was something that showed the team management in poor light. Would a batsman like Virat Kohli be dropped from the playing XI for two failures? By the same yardstick, why was Shikhar Dhawan not dropped after failing initially on perfect batting conditions?
Ashwin has moved on from this brief bad phase and bounced back picking up wickets and opening the bowling to play a key role in India's 3-0 whitewash in the T20s.
Dhoni has always called Ashwin an "asset" to the team. On Sunday night, he explained its value, especially in limited overs, particularly T20s. "He is the pick of the bowlers. Give him the new ball, he is someone who will flight the ball, ask the batsman to step out and play the big shot. That, I feel, is crucial in this format. At times, you tend to bowl too flat and he is somebody who mixes it really well. He gives us the liberty to use fast bowlers in the middle overs."
The rate at which Ashwin is going, it is only a matter of time before he picks up his, and India's, first five-wicket haul in T20 Internationals.
Ashwin in T20Is
34 matches, 42 wickets, 4/8 best figures, 21.61 average, 6.93 economy rate
Ashwin in T20Is in 2016:
Vs Australia, January
2/28 (4 overs) in Adelaide
1/27 (4 overs) in Melbourne
1/36 (4 overs) in sydney
vs Sri Lanka, February
2/13 (3 overs) in Pune
3/14 (4 overs) in Ranchi
4/8 (4 overs) in Visakhapatnam
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