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‘I have got a good stock of my bowling at the crease’
‘I have looked to build good spells and try and get control over the batsman’
India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest to scalp 150 wickets in Indian Test history. The 29-year-old also became the first man in over 100 years to bag 50 wickets after opening the bowling during the first cricket Test against South Africa, in Mohali, on Friday.
PHOTOS: India vs South Africa, Mohali Test, Day Two
After tormenting SA batsmen, Ashwin turns up heat on media
On being asked about his consistent performance, Ashwin, who became the fastest Indian bowler to claim 150 wickets in 29 Tests, said, "I think two things. I have got a good stock of my bowling at the crease. To put it into practice and from there, on try and set in control over the batsmen. I think in the past, there have been times when I have thought that I will get wickets quickly if I spin one across and one straight, but that's not what Test cricket goes."
"It's been a good learning for me and thankfully I learnt pretty quickly and from there on I have just looked to build good spells and try and get control over the batsman and over a period of time and make sure I produce a good ball in that period of time."
Ashwin also said that the bowlers need to stay patient in getting wickets.
"Definitely patience is very important. They do have some quality batsmen in their ranks. We do know that a partnerships are going to come. It is about ascertaining control over a batter and try and make a false stroke come from him. Especially if its an Amla or an AB or a Faf. You know that they are going to make an error on the offensive side.
"So it's very important that you keep control and be very patient. For example some of the shots that AB played today was outstanding. So you just have to clap and make sure you bowl good balls the next one. That's how it goes," he said.
De Villiers got a lucky reprieve in the 25th over of the day after Jadeja induced an outside edge of the star player’s bat and Virat Kohli took a clean catch after the ball lobbed off wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha’s gloves but replays showed that the left-arm spinner had overstepped the popping crease.
Ashwin talked about the anxious moment.
"From a batsman's side it is very exciting because I know I have another chance. From a bowler's perspective it is heartbreaking because you know that you're not going to get that wicket after celebrating. So it is a bit funny. You think it's done. And at the end of the after someone's dead, he's come back," he said.