With Ashwin in, India can win world at home

The 30-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin has certainly entered the most important phase of his life. With 12 more Test matches lined up at home, after the first one being played here at the Kanpur's Green Park, Ashwin has a chance to leave all his competitors behind and the first glimpse of his achieving greater heights was at display on the Day Four of the first Test against New Zealand on Sunday.

Team India off-spinner surpassed Australian legend Dennis Lillee along with Pakistan's toe crusher Waqar Younis to become the second fastest bowler to claim 200 Test wickets by trapping none other but Kiwis skipper and most accomplished batsman Kane Williamson in front of wicket.

Ashwin achievement came in 37th Test, only one more than Clarrie Grimmett of Australia who took 36 Tests to get to the 200th wicket mark. Lillee and Younis both took 38 Tests to reach this milestone. Ashwin has been India's most trusted hit man, considering that both MS Dhoni and now Virat Kohli have equally been betting on his skills during any moment of crisis.

And, Ashwin has also not let them down on home soil, in particular. The Chennai-born offie has been performing like a champion, with the bat as well on occasions, for the past six years. In fact, this is that extra confidence on him that is giving his Team India skipper a liberty to play with just so limited bowling options, literally.

In fact, Ashwin has actually taken up Anil Kumble's role where his other spin partner, mostly Ravindra Jadeja, reaps the benefits of pressure being built by him. The same used to be the situation mostly with Harbhajan Singh during the time he bowled along side Kumble.

Coming to Kanpur, Ashwin was seven wickets away from hitting the 200-wicket mark. Though it took him more than 16 overs to get his first wicket during the first innings, he went on to scalp six more till now to put India there on the verge of victory.

It was Ashwin's four front-line scalps – Tom Latham, Williamson, Mitchell Santner and BJ Watling – in the first innings that set up the tone for a crucial lead and softens the remaining ones for Jadeja, who took a five-for.

And, when New Zealand resumed their second knock, it was Ashwin all the way as the visitors had no clue how to handle his speedy turners. Ashwin removed openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham in his second over only before reaching this milestone in the ninth.

Ashwin has been India's most successful Test bowler at home in the last two years. The only stigma on him is that his overseas bowling average is far from being satisfactory. In comparison to his strike rate of 46 at home (133 wickets in 20 Tests), Ashwin has a poor strike rate of over 62 abroad (67 wickets in 17 Tests) to show the huge difference.

He had struggled big time in Australia and England to say the least. In comparison, Ashwin has grabbed a whopping 35 wickets at an average of 12.51 in the last five Test matches played at home.

"It had to be that way. There are a lot of good memories I have created in the last 5-6 years in my career. To look back and feel sorry about a few things, is not the right way to go about my career," Ashwin talked about his journey after his achievement on Sunday.

"I am happy trying to compete with myself. When I say that, I might sound clichéd but I always say I constantly compete with myself. You go out and try beat records. Trying to catch up with records always teaches you lessons," Ashwin said, hoping to achieve many more in the future.

QUOTE BOX
"It had to be that way. There are a lot of good memories I have created in the last 5-6 years in my career. To look back and feel sorry about a few things, is not the right way to go about my career."
–R Ashwin