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R Ashwin: The sponge who soaks

Constantly absorbing feedback, intelligent, quick learner, hard working are a few terms his mentors and coaches use describing R Ashwin. But what should alarm batsmen world over, as they tell G Krishnan, is that Indian off-spinner has just begun and has a long way to go

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Ravichandran Ashwin may have been given rest for the One-day series against New Zealand. He deservedly needs a break and Virat Kohli would want him to return fresh when England visit India for five Tests starting on November 9.

He may be utilising the break to plot the downfall of the Englishmen, and in particular Joe Root, just the same way he exploited the weakness of Kane Williamson in the just-concluded three-Test series in which he finished with 27 wickets and collect his seventh man-of-the-series award in his 14th rubber that he has appeared in since his debut five years ago.

Ashwin got rid of Williamson four out of the four innings that the Kiwi captain played in, all in identical fashions — with the ball pitching around the off-stump line and turning to catch the batsman unawares, either castling him or trapping him in front. This weakness was something that Ashwin remembered from the last time New Zealand toured India in 2012, especially during the Bengaluru Test.

Intelligence at work

An intelligent person that Ashwin is, a lot of preparation goes into plotting a batsman out. Watching videos, discussing the finer points with coaches, experimenting various things in the nets and picking up what works for him on a given day against a particular opposition are how the 30-year-old strapping off-spinner goes about.

It is one thing to practice hard. Even more difficult is to translate such hard work into performances. The ease with which Ashwin picks up wickets, series after series, especially in the last 16 months during which he picked up 101 sticks in 15 Tests, makes the offie a fearsome proposition today.

His mentor and former Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Sunil Subramanian says some people are blessed with the wicket-taking luck. “Ashwin has got an overdose of that blessing”.

No wonder that Ashwin became the second fastest to 200 Test wickets – in 37 Tests.

In fact, to people who have known Ashwin and who have helped groom him into what he is today, statistics don’t matter.

His 220 wickets in 39 Tests, 21 times five-wicket hauls – fourth in the India’s all-time list, Kumble (35), Kapil Dev (23) and Harbhajan Singh (25) are above him but their five-wicket hauls have come after playing more than 100 Tests – are bound to happen.

Subramanian says: “(His achievements) are nothing new. Those who follow cricket should not be enamoured by the wickets column. There is nothing really new that he doesn't have. He is just evolving as a bowler, definitely it is his intelligence that is coming to the core now.

“There will be days when he will bowl a lot better but not have much to show in the wickets column. Some of the bowlers across generations are blessed with the wicket-taking luck. Let me tell you, he is not taking it for granted. He is working at it.”

A la Kumble

What sets Ashwin, who banks on his rhythm, apart from the others is his ability to adapt quickly to different surfaces. By his own admission, he took time to get into the rhythm in the first two Tests. This, despite taking a 10-for in Kanpur. Having worked on his shortcomings quickly, he produced his career-best innings figures (7/59) and match figures (13/140) in the third Test in Indore.

Subramanian continues: “As a process, what I see is his intelligence, how quickly he is able to adapt to different surfaces on different days. You won't succeed all the time and it takes some time to adjust. What is special about Ashwin is that as you visualise the surface, he is able to do it in the match. He is doing quickly, match after match. You give him a different pitch, he will bowl with different speeds.”

Another former Tamil Nadu off-spin stalwart, M Venkataramana, who played one Test and two ODIs, feels that Ashwin is perfectly suited to today’s demands of international cricket.

He says: “You can map Ashwin’s career graph very close to Anil Kumble's. When Anil started, none rated him as a leg-spinner. Ashwin was rated the same way earlier. Then he started bringing in the weapons like flighting the ball, bowling the doosra, effective use of carrom ball, etc. He is very well set for the present trend. The game is evolving and without a doubt, Ashwin is an intelligent bowler.”

Fit and hit

Bharat Arun, former Test medium-pacer and who was the Indian team’s bowling coach from August 2014 and March 2016, throws more light on what goes into the making of India’s strike bowler. In fact, Ashwin has credited Arun for helping him rediscover himself and come back to the Indian team as a more potent force.

It was also under Arun that Ashwin picked up Kumar Sangakkara four times out of four in the Sri Lankan great’s farewell series last year. Though he does not directly deal with Ashwin as he is committed to Hyderabad Ranji Trophy this season, Arun and Ashwin do have conversations once in a while.

Says Arun: “One of the reasons why he could tirelessly bowl with the same intensity for so long is his improvement in fitness in the last six months. It all started in Sri Lanka last year when he began to do well and really took off before the home series against South Africa.

“The fitter you become, the more percentage of skill you put to use. As you get to tire, the skill efficiency goes down. Today, Ashwin is relentless. To be able to be relentless, you have to be physically strong, like Virat Kohli running between the wickets.”

The 53-year-old Arun says that not getting tired also results in being mentally fresh. “One way of getting through mentally is through the body. By pushing the body, the mind is also stronger. It says ‘I am capable of exceeding the limits, come out of the comfort zone, scale even higher’. That is precisely what Ashwin is doing at the moment.”

Experimenting to success

Arun did not necessarily have to teach Ashwin how to bowl off-spin. Or for that matter even current India chief coach Anil Kumble. It is all about encouraging the bowler, clarifying the doubts and instilling confidence.

“What Ashwin says is, ‘What can I do to equip myself and do better, where do I improve myself to excel in all conditions’. He is not afraid of experimenting. For a bowler to discover himself, you have to come out of the comfort zone. Ashwin readily comes out of comfort zone. If there is anything he can do to excel with the ball, he will readily do it.”

Arun explains the net sessions that the two have had during his India stint: “Ashwin will ask a lot of questions and you have to convince him. When he comes out of the comfort zone, doubts crop up in bowler's mind. When you try something, whether you can execute it (in match situation), not minding the line and length; if the ball spins with line and length, where it pitches should not worry you.

“A bowler has fear that what he is experimenting is not coming out properly. Once you master it, you can bring it to your control. That's when we give proper feedback about what is happening. And, by giving him the confidence, you can always adjust the length once you master the art.”

Quick learner

Subramanian adds: “As you age, it takes 8-10 overs to get your juices flowing. In that process, he discovers the right lengths, the right speeds and whatever gaps he is able to pierce in terms of bat-pad and set it up. Setting up (the batsman’s dismissal) comes much later. Once you have command of what you are visualising and how the pitch is behaving, that's when setting up (a batsman) starts. Ashwin is able to do it quickly. The biggest improvement I have seen in him is he has now realised the wisdom of bowling outside the off-stump on a length.”

Batsmen have begun to dread the sight of Ashwin. They are straightaway made to feel uncomfortable whenever Ashwin is with the ball ready to outwit them.

Arun reveals: “Doing an analysis of a player before a series, knowing his strengths and shortcomings would definitely help a bowler. Ashwin is well aware of his strengths, the challenges he faces and backs himself to deliver for the team.

“Every single ball, he would want feedback. He wants more awareness. Many times, what bowlers think they are doing and what they are actually doing are entirely different. For example, you may think you are bowling close to the stumps but you would actually be bowling farther from them. The challenge is you should be making newer mistakes. Newer mistakes means you are learning.”

Test at a time

There is no dearth of information and advice today. Ashwin need not look beyond the legendary Kumble in the dressing room to plot the opposition’s downfall. Plus, he has Subramanian and Arun to go back to whenever he is at home.

The 49-year-old Subramanian says: “Ashwin is very intelligent to know what to absorb. He is a sponge who soaks. He never closes his mind on information. The beauty is that he will absorb it like a sponge and use it precisely in the way he can use it best. He has amazing clarity on what should be done.”

Ashwin is also clear on his mind when he says he is taking one Test a time while knowing that India have a long home season of 13 Tests, of which three have gone by.

Arun says: “He goes into a series with a goal in trying to get people out. He is somebody who works for excellence and looks at milestones as a by-product of his excellence.”

Long way to go

And, the No. 1 ranked Test bowler is a result of all these. So also the No. 1 Test all-rounder that Ashwin is.

Venkataramana, who is among the NCA panel of coaches and also was chief coach of Dindigul Dragons in the recent Tamil Nadu Premier League with Ashwin his captain, predicts the star to reach 500 Test wickets in the next three-four years. “I feel he has got a long way. He has started bowling more of the stock deliveries. He was trying too many things earlier, failed and learnt from his mistakes.”

As for Subramanian, Ashwin will touch the 280-290 Test-wicket mark by the end of this season, which means another 70 wickets in the next 10 matches.
Joe Root, and Steve Smith to follow early next year, beware. Ashwin is waiting for you

ASHWIN IN TESTS POST 2015 WORLD CUP:

Series    Tests    Wkts    Ave    Best    5WI    10WM
In Bangladesh    1    5    19.00    5/87    1    0
In Sri Lanka    3    21    18.09    6/46    2    1
In India vs SA    4    31    11.12    7/66    4    1
In West Indies    4    17    23.17    7/83    2    0
In India vs NZ    3    27    17.77    7/59    3    2
Total    15    101    16.67    7/59    12    4

ASHWIN IN TESTS    Tests    Wkts    Ave    Best (Inngs)    5WI    10WM

Overall    39    220    24.29    7/59    21    6
At home    22    153    20.37    7/59    16    5
Away 17    67    33.23    7/83    5    1

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