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Monday, January 27, 2014

Ashwin keen to embrace 'all-rounder' tag


HAMILTON: For a bowler with two quality Test centuries, and a safe pair of hands as a 'slipper', Ravichandran Ashwin must often have wondered: why am I not in the league of all-rounders?

Struggling with the ball since India hit the road in December, he would have fervently hoped for a chance higher up the order; of course, he wouldn't be grudged if he secretly aspired for the No. 6 position which somehow always seems vacant.


On Saturday evening, he found himself walking out at No. 7, ahead of the more 'established' all-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja. In the space of 46 deliveries, he turned the course of the match, stunning the complacent Black Caps out of their wits.


Down and almost gone at 184 for six, even the multitude of Indian fans looked indulgently at his bevy of strokes; it was only when the Kiwis started acting like headless chickens that they realised that the battle had resumed again. His 65, coupled with Jadeja's unbeaten 66 might not have given victory; but it can easily be the cornerstone on this tour.


"It was a good opportunity presented to me in terms of batting higher up the order," he said on the eve of fourth one-dayer. "I got enough overs and thought I'd just bat the way I do in a Test, and look for runs all the time. It helped me in the end."


Ashwin, the master of variation, showed that he had a variety of shots too; he also hinted at his ambitions with the bat, reminding some of his young days as an opener. "It is easier to get runs in the one-day game. You do not have many behind the bat, you do not have spread out fields."


Speaking about the near-win at Eden Park, he said: "I have been working on the big shots, something that hasn't come naturally to me. I was used to batting up the order, taking my time, playing shots along the ground. I have made a few technical changes too. I wasn't surprised because I have been hitting a few in practice."


The 27-year-old is not perturbed by the lack of wickets. "Honestly, I was not reading too much into that. I am probably in the best frame of mind I have been in. I have locked away a few things that I learnt in South Africa. I thought things were going all right."


In fact, he went a step further, saying: "I am pretty satisfied with my bowling. I have sorted out the lengths that I need to bowl. There are certain ways you need to construct a spell away from India."


He was expectedly disappointed that the match was allowed to slip out of their fingers. "The standards we have set for ourselves have been quite high, in terms of what we have achieved in the past year or so. We were disappointed we did not shut it down. That is not us."


New Zealand will surely not be making the mistake of celebrating before actually winning the game anymore; after all, in addition to power-packed batsmen, India are looking at two potentially match-winning all-rounders down the order.






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Shweta Pandey

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