Bowling and batting are very different sports in the same game: R. Ashwin

R. Ashwin set the Chepauk Stadium ablaze with his fiery ton against Bangladesh in the first Test. The star India spinner, complemented by Ravindra Jadeja, stitched a 199-run partnership for the seventh wicket as India crawled back spectacularly after an early setback. Shedding light on his 113-run knock, Ashwin said that the transformation has taken its “own due”.

After Anil Kumble, the veteran is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test matches. Even though he was skilled at timing the ball, he did not have the typical grind that batters do. He has shaped himself over time to suit the bowling all-rounder role. He acknowledged that whereas bowling requires conscious technique, hitting necessitates a superior ability to think behind the scenes.

“In the same game, bowling and batting are two completely different sports. One is carried out intentionally. Subconsciously, the other one is carried out. Therefore, I believe that each has earned its own space. I can now divide them both and sequence that to perceive as a cricket player. Ashwin was cited as stating, “So, when I walked there [to bat], the only thing I wanted to do was settle down my game.”

“Being a bowler who plays on 12, 18, or 24 balls ahead when I’m sequencing it, the mind can play tricks.” That’s not what a batter should do. I simply apply my prior knowledge upon entry. Thus, hitting the ball as I see it and concentrating on it is now more important, he continued.

I used to get joy from responding to my detractors: R. Ashwin

The 38-year-old has always been able to think like a legitimate batter. His deft decision to remove Mohammad Nawaz from the game during the tense last over of the T20 World Cup 2022 is evidence of his cunning.

The cricketer from Chennai was formerly seen as less effective with the ball and less promising with the bat, so it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for him. However, the star spinner disclosed that his new motto is to pursue independence in the face of opposition and ignore outside chatter.

Also Read: India vs Bangladesh 1st Test, 2 Day Stat Review: Jasprit Bumrah reaches 400 wickets

“I used to get joy from responding to my detractors during news conferences or with my performances. Now, though, such is not the case. These days, for me, the most crucial thing is to enjoy my game, to live in the now, and to play cricket while grinning, Ashwin continued.