Ashwin’s as yet unbeaten 102 off 112 balls is his sixth century, but this one is different in many ways.At 144 for six in the first innings, India were in the dumps, and the game that Ashwin brought to the fore isn’t something that we are used to.
The 38-year-old, who normally looks to buy his time in the beginning of the innings, came out with an attacking intent and launched into his strokes right from the word go.
It seemed well practised and one understands that this is something Ashwin has been working on for some time now. A month before the Test series started, he played the Tamil Nadu Premier League, a domestic T20 tournament, and batted most of the games as an opener or at No. 3.
In the last three knockout games in which he scored three consecutive half-centuries-two being scored on the same MA Chidambaram pitch in Chennai-his strike rates were 160, 230 and 113, which went a long way in winning the title for Dindigul Dragons.
Guru Kedarnath, one of the coaches at Dindigul Dragons and a friend of Ashwin, told TOI that the allrounder has considerably improved his power-hitting over the years.
“It’s not that he comes into TNPL saying that he would like to improve one facet of the game, but you can see that he is constantly working on something or the other. Power-hitting definitely was a part of it. His ability to dance down the track and his excellent hand-eye co-ordination were absolutely crucial,” Kedarnath, who is also the assistant coach of Tamil Nadu, said.
On Thursday, after completing the century, Ashwin acknowledged that the TNPL experience was a big help. “The fact that I’m coming off a T20 tournament worked quite a bit on batting and playing the shots. I’ve always been giving the ball a waft and on a surface like this, it’s better to go hard like Rishabh (Pant) does,” Ashwin said.
The bounce and carry on the pitch was something that he had grown up playing, and Ashwin did mention that it was an “old school Chennai surface”. “When there is width, you can give it a tonk. I love playing when there is bounce and carry and enjoyed myself today,” Ashwin said.
His trusted comrade Ravindra Jadeja‘s presence at the other end also played its part and Ashwin didn’t forget to mention it. “There was a point where I was sweating and tiring but Jaddu helped me through the phase. He’s been solid and one of our best batters. He told me we don’t have to convert twos into threes, which was useful for me,” Ashwin added.
This was his second consecutive Test century at home, the earlier one coming against England in 2021. That was between the first and second waves of Covid and not too many were there to witness in. This time around, his family and friends were present, making it “a special occasion”.
Just that the party isn’t over yet. The best part-with the ball- is yet to come.
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