India's offie has put a not-so-flattering form behind him and emerged as team's go-to bowler. His coach, however, expects more from him, like opening the bowling against Gayle
Sunil Subramaniam has no qualms about admitting that he is a maverick. But he is quick to add that his ward, R Ashwin, is just like him. Long arguments and endless discussions are an everyday feature of this guru-shishya relationship. And the good thing is that they enjoy it. After all, these are "thinking individuals" who seldom adhere to "convention".
Right now, both men are in a happy space. In three matches, Ashwin has produced good enough figures to keep his long-time coach quiet. Just "quiet" because it's never really possible to make your coach "happy". Even Tendulkar used to say that of his beloved Achrekar sir.
"None of this is surprising me," Subramaniam says of Ashwin's cumulative numbers that read 28-4-107-8, inclusive of a career-best 4/25 against the UAE at the WACA on Saturday. "Look, the good thing is that Ashwin is using his entire body weight in every delivery. A spinner doesn't have a long, pacy run-up like a fast bowler. Instead, he relies on hips, torso, shoulder, arm and back. That apart, I am glad he is bowling with that old action of his," says the Chennai-based spin expert who picked up 285 wickets in 74 first-class matches between 1988 and 2001.
According to Subramaniam, who plied his trade for Tamil Nadu and Assam, Ashwin's greatest asset is confidence — both personal and that reposed in him by skipper MS Dhoni. More often than not, Ashwin enjoys bowling at the "toughest times" and his solidity holds him in good stead.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the off-spinner was done in by the lack of faith shown by the team management, especially in the longer format of the game. That apart, "things like experimentation" came in the way of his attacking instinct. That was an awful time really, both for Ashwin and those watching him. The fidgety, circular motion in his delivery stride, that needless pause — you remember it well, don't you?
Halfway through their Group 'B' commitments, India have Ashwin, among others, to thank for their all-win record. He also happens to be the team's top wicket-taker, and the second-best spinner after South Africa's Imran Tahir.
But Subramaniam isn't a "wickets column" man. "The more you keep bowling, the better you get. I would like to see Ashwin do well against some dangerous batsmen," he says. But didn't he keep the Pakistanis quiet by bowling three maidens? And wasn't he effective against AB de Villiers & Co.? "Yes, he was. But I hope to see him take up more and more challenges. How about opening the bowling against Chris Gayle on Friday?" he wonders. That's a fabulous idea. Who knows what's on Dhoni's mind.
Subramaniam also pointed out that Ashwin has managed to turn things around because he has "looked for wickets all along". That's right. For quite some time, the Chennai lad was paying the price for being defensive, restrictive and experimental. "He has relied on the conventional off-break and imparted more flight on the ball," he says. The true, bouncy pitches here have done the rest.
So useful has Ashwin been that he has become a breaker of partnerships. Against Pakistan in Adelaide, he got Haris Sohail after the left-hander had added 68 runs for the second wicket with Ahmed Shehzad. A week later, he went for runs against South Africa before managing to tighten the screws. By employing close-in fielders, he created enough pressure to choke — no pun intended — JP Duminy, Vernon Philander and tail-ender Morne Morkel to finish with 3/41.
On Saturday, he literally schooled the UAE batsmen. His variations, including the deadly carom ball, were too much to handle for the amateurs from the Middle East who could only poke and prod at his deliveries.
SPINNING FORTUNES
Ashwin in WC
vs Pakistan: 8-3-41-1
vs South Africa: 10-0-41-3
vs UAE: 10-1-25-4
Ashwin in tri-series
vs Australia: 9-0-54-1
ASHWIN'S SCALPS
Pakistan: Haris Sohail
South Africa: JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel
UAE: Krishna Chandran, Khurram Khan, Swapnil Patil, Mohammad Naveed
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