'The last 10-12 months I have been more focused on Test cricket. I came to terms with the fact that Test cricket is no child's play'
Having focused more on Test cricket over the last year, Ravichandran Ashwin has come to terms with the fact that cricket’s longest format is no "child's play".
"The last 10-12 months I have been more focused on Test cricket. I came to terms with the fact that Test cricket is no child's play. I wanted to be serious about every aspect of the game and be as focused as possible," said Ashwin, at the media conference after India defeated Sri Lanka in the third Test by 117 runs and won the series 2-1.
The 'Man of the Series' bagged 21 wickets in the three Tests but the icing on the cake was a half-century in India’s second innings on Day 4 of the third Test.
"Before the series I was just looking to be at the best I could be. Every day of this particular series I wanted to be in that particular rhythm that I was on the first day in Galle. Rhythm was one thing I wanted to get all through the series. Every game there was a spell in which I got into a perfect rhythm," he said, looking back at the past month with a lot of satisfaction.
On the final day's proceedings, he conceded that the team had to play the waiting game for a certain period of time when Kusal Perera and Angelo Mathews added 145 runs for the fifth wicket.
"The ball got really soft and it stopped swinging for the fast bowlers as well. We identified the fact that we needed to keep the runs in check and also keep things quiet so that when one wicket fell, we could really capitalize on it.
"Even before the game, we had identified this as the phase where runs would go. We were always stacking it up for the second new ball to come, so we were really prepared to take the game as deep as possible and that's what Test cricket is all about. I think we, as a unit, stuck to it pretty well," he said.
Ashwin thanked the support staff for standing by him after being troubled by a tennis elbow.
"I have to be very thankful to the team management and the coaches. I have been struggling with a tennis elbow issue and I had to make certain technical adjustments to my batting.
"It has taken a bit of time. I wanted to contribute but, unfortunately, I couldn't spend more time in the middle. Yesterday was one day where the game situation demanded me to put everything behind and watch the ball closely.
"Thankfully, it came off really well and I struck the ball really well."
He admitted that the heat and humidity took its toll and there was every possibility that one among five bowlers was bound to be under-bowled.
"Heat was very testing here. Ideally, a three or four-over spell is not perfect for a spinner. But I think it is also the fact that when we play five bowlers, some bowler gets under-bowled. If you look up to the scoreboard today, everyone has bowled 14 to 19 overs, and you needed that final thrust. We were all there to give that thrust. That's one positive side of it.
"There will be days when you can bowl a longer spell. It happened in the last Test. So it’s also about coming to terms with what kind of spell, I would like and what kind of spell Virat likes to operate me in.
"So we will develop it over time. As it is, we have no qualms in talking and discussing. I can tell him on the field what I feel like. I think its great in that."
Ashwin felt during some of the spells in this series, Ishant was really quick.
"In the last couple of Test matches, Ishant bowled exceptionally well. I think there were a few spells where it felt like the batsmen couldn't even touch the ball. That's how well he was bowling. When those kinds of spell happen, we know pretty much that pressure is going to build on from both
sides. So we try and feed off each others' spells from the other side. Its a great thing,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu tweaker also likes the fact that Virat Kohli is a good communicator and expects the same from the boys as well.
"We are trying to be interactive and Virat is really embracing the fact that we need to communicate well with each other. That's one aspect that has?really come a long way on this tour."
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