'I am still taking five to six wickets per Test and way more matured than what I was 25 to 27 months back.'
Ravichandran Ashwin would not get into the debate if the wrist spinners are more effective than the finger spinners, saying the theories floated in Indian cricket are based on 'perceptions'.
Ashwin is currently not in India's scheme of things in limited overs cricket with wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav being the regular feature for the past year or so.
Ask him about this wrist versus finger spinner debate, Ashwin's answer was laced with sarcasm.
"Like they say, world spins and everything will spin around. It's only matter of time as more often than not Indian cricket is built mostly on perceptions," Ashwin said on sidelines of the Deodhar Trophy game in New Delhi on Tuesday.
India's fourth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 336 scalps to his name, the eloquent Ashwin made it clear that he doesn't have time for critics, who have dissected his bowling over the years.
Questioned if he agrees that in Test matches, a spinner's success depends on stock ball, he replied:"If you are successful, people will say it's right. If you are not successful, people will have an opinion.
"For the better part of my 150 wickets, experts kept on saying that I was trying variations....when I knew I wasn't doing it. These are opinion created by people for which I have to give answer to. I don't have time for that anymore as I want to enjoy my game," he said.
Has he buried the ghosts of his away series record?
"It's for you guys to say as I don't care anymore."
But one could sense a bit of anger when he said about how he has battled his own benchmarks.
"I am always battling benchmarks that I have created for myself. Unfortunately people don't take that into account and I don't expect them to do it. That's never been an Indian way and I am not worried about it.
"I am still taking five to six wickets per Test and way more matured than what I was 25 to 27 months back."
The senior off-spinner then gave an example. "During a Test match in Sydney (2014), experts said a spinner should go for wickets and when I went for wickets, they said I should be bowling tight and give break to fast bowlers. Now this is the wall I hit all the time. So the battle is within me as I can't keep looking outside."
He praised young left-arm chinaman spinner Kuldeep but had a word of caution.
"Kuldeep has leg break, googly and ability to deceive batsmen. But challenge starts as batsmen will start reading him better. That's when he will need to adapt but we have good support system in place."
On his bowling, Ashwin explained how he has changed the technique of his carrom ball.
"I don't bowl the carrom ball from the top. I bowl from underneath now so that it doesn't give much trajectory to batsmen and it skids through. I have also developed a few variations with normal off breaks," he said.
.jpg)