On Tuesday, March 5, seasoned Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin described the 2012 Test series against England at home as a watershed moment in his career. According to the 37-year-old, the difficult series taught him what to improve in his game.
In 2012, the England cricket team, captained by Alastair Cook, secured a notable 2-1 victory over India in the Test series. The event marks the latest time India experienced a home series loss. Indian spinner Ashwin couldn’t shine enough. He took only 14 wickets with an average run-rate of 52.64 in the four matches. England’s spinners – Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar – played better.
During a news conference before of his 100th Test, the veteran off-spinner discussed the significance of England’s series loss in 2012.
“The 2012 series against England was the turning point for me. It taught me what to correct in my game,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Ravichandran Ashwin
A special day is nearing for a Tamil Nadu cricketer. He’ll make records on March 7, Thursday. It’s his 100th Test. He’ll hit this milestone playing for India. The game? It’s against England. The place? Dharamsala. It’s the final match in a series of five.
Reflecting on his long career, the off-spinner acknowledged that it is a significant milestone and that the ride has been memorable.
“(It’s) a pretty big occasion. More than the destination, the journey has been very special. It doesn’t change preparation for this game. We have a Test match to win.”
“100th Test matters a lot to me, but it matters more to my father, mother, wife and even my kids. My kids are more excited about the Test. Families go through a lot during a player’s journey. My father still answers 40 calls on what his son did during a game.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin joined the elite club of Indian cricketers with 500 or more Test wickets. Before him, only Anil Kumble had reached this milestone.
“One of my finest spells in Test cricket has to be 2018-19 in Birmingham” – Ravichandran Ashwin
When asked to select his finest Test cricket periods throughout the course of a brilliant career, the 37-year-old named his 2018-19 effort in Birmingham as one of his best.
“One of my finest spells in Test cricket has to be 2018-19 in Birmingham.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
The off-spinner took seven wickets in the 2018-19 Birmingham Test, including the notable scalps of Alastair Cook and Joe Root. The veteran cricketer agreed that the playing conditions in Dharamsala are really chilly.
“21 years ago, I was here playing u19 cricket for two months. It is pretty cold, will take more time for fingers to adjust. That’s the beauty of it, the unknown.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin has taken 507 wickets in 99 Tests at an average of 23.91, including 35 five-fers and eight 10-wicket match hauls.