Mumbai: R Ashwin is in that zone where he is breaking records for fun. On Thursday, on day one of the fourth India versus England Test in Mumbai, he surpassed the Javagal Srinath’s tally of 236 wickets in Tests.
On day two, he went on to equal Kapil Dev’s – Srinath’s predecessor and one of the greats of the game – record by securing his 23rd five-wicket haul in the longer format of the game after dismissing Ben Stokes.
The leader of the Indian bowling attack is now two five-wicket hauls away from equalling Harbhajan Singh’s record. When that happens, Ashwin will jump to the second spot in the list, which is headed by current Indian coach – Anil Kumble – with 35 fifers.
In a day and age when more than a handful of spinners are under the scanner for their bowling action, Ashwin’s uncomplicated action, alongside his recent success banking on staple off-spinner deliveries and occasional use of carom ball-like variations is a delight for the purists of cricket fans.
While some, including a senior compatriot of his, still seem to doubt his ability, citing he was aided by the rank turners India played their cricket on till recently at home, his hunger to learn and improve as a spinner is visible in a way he has bowled on tracks like the ones in Mumbai and Mohali. The seven five-wicket hauls in two consecutive years, 2015 and 2016, in Tests is a testimony of his growth as a bowler and his omnipresent desire for consistency.
While Ashwin, the bowler, exudes confidence, Ashwin, the speaker, exudes intelligence and hence, it is equally fascinating to listen to him on how he plots his wickets. For example, the one of Joe Root in the ongoing Mumbai Test.
“I must say, I reworked that dismissal (Root’s) in my head, because he has got out lot of times in the slips. In the last three test matches we have played, he nicked one in Vizag, I thought he nicked one and it was reviewed over and turned over, but he has got a tendency to nick spinners to the slip cordon.
"I saw him nick Dane Piedt in South Africa, he has done it quite a few times to Nathan Lyon (Australia) as well , so I was just imaging on the first day, this is one of the wickets out of the four Tests matches, where actually edges do carry to slips, so I was just mentally working it over and it happened,” said Ashwin after the end of day’s play on Thursday.
While Ashwin, as confident as he is, never undermines his predecessors, he has it in him to become one of the best bowlers India have ever produced.
