MS Dhoni is a hard act to follow: R Ashwin

Chennai: Over the last 12 months, there aren’t many things that you could fault R. Ashwin for, what with all the adulation and plaudits he has been swamped with bearing testimony to the rich harvest he reaped on the field. It’s hard to resort to any nitpicking even if he were to have a forlorn wish that the year 2016 would continue in perpetuity. For, it was the year that saw him become the second-fastest to breach the 200-wicket barrier in Tests and was just the third Indian to receive the ICC cricketer of the year award. He picked up a staggering 72 wickets in 12 Tests and his more than handy contributions with the bat helped him bag the Test cricketer of the year accolade for good measure.

During an interaction with the media here on Friday, Ashwin harked his mind back to the Adelaide Test of 2014 and cited that match as the turning point in his career when he was told that he wasn’t good enough to merit a place in the team. In his own words, that particular instance made him experience a metamorphosis in his outlook on the sport. That galling chapter has now become the pathway to what has been a season of spectacular highs and even had the man widely regarded as India’s greatest all-rounder, Kapil Dev, heap encomiums on the 30-year-old, when he said that India have at last found a worthy successor to his cherished legacy.

Excerpts from Ashwin’s interview:

Q How would you look back at last season’s accomplishments?
I didn’t set any goals. I wanted to make myself the most valuable player by making my presence felt at the decisive moments. I have started realising the full import of what the term ‘process’ means. And if you adhere to that process, the results will follow.

Q Is this the best phase of your career as a bowler?
Going by what I achieved last year, it has to be. But I’m looking to learn every single day. I monitor my aggression from time to time. I would not say that this is the best. Best times could be lying ahead you never know.

Q What was your initial reaction to M.S. Dhoni’s decision to step down as ODI and T20 captain?
One good thing is he made it clear that he will be available for selection as a player. He was an illustrious captain and there are lot of lessons to be learnt from how he conducted himself when confronted by crunch situations.

Q How do you think the team will cope with Dhoni not being the captain?
I think it was the same when Sourav Ganguly’s time as captain ended. People said the going will be tough for the team.
Emotions run high in our country. Also, Virat Kohli has done exceedingly well as Test skipper. Maybe that’s why Dhoni opted to step down. But, Dhoni will be a tough act to follow as captain.

Q With India playing only five Tests at home this season, your thoughts on bowling on non-responsive tracks?
The conditions in Sri Lanka (where India are scheduled to play three Tests later this year) are quite similar to what we have at home. And the last time I played there, I ended up winning the man-of-the-series award. It will be a challenge to perform on South African wickets. I played a Test at Johannesburg on our last tour. The key to doing well would be to adapt quickly. South Africa will be hurting after losing 0-3 to India and we have to prepare accordingly.

Q What brought about the turnaround in your batting?
I have to thank batting coach Sanjay Bangar for providing valuable inputs. He gave me honest feedback about how poorly I was batting and what were the aspects I needed to focus on. And I also owe a lot to Mr. Srinivasan who works with me at my Academy. We worked tirelessly keeping in mind the kind of bowlers I would face. We had specific plans in place to counter the threat of the likes of Trent Boult and the reverse swing of Ben Stokes. I watched a lot of videos of the England-Bangladesh series and that helped me in my preparation.