NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian chess great Viswanathan Anand took to social media last week to congratulate Ravichandran Ashwin on the cricketer’s 100th Test and asked if the spinner enjoyed playing chess with him.
Seeking a battle of wits, the former five-time world chess champion could hardly have picked a more sensible opponent in the 15-member Indian team that won the series 4-1 against England on Saturday.
Ashwin, who finished the series as its leading wicket-taker, is known to be a fastidious perfectionist who hates being predictable and often tweaks his actions, varying his speed and varying his release point to keep the batters guessing.
The spinner, who at one point tried leg spin in domestic cricket to expand his repertoire, said the current bowler needs to keep reinventing himself to be relevant in the era of video analysis.
“The batsmen are constantly being prepared and they can line you up beautifully if you are the same person who keeps coming (at the batsmen),” Ashwin said after India’s innings win in Dharamsala on Saturday.
“Sticking to one method isn’t going to be good enough to throw dough away. I’m not saying it won’t work, but luckily I’m one of those who experimented, learned, and it worked for me.”
“I can’t say that this is a method that anyone else should follow, but with all the video footage and analysis going on, it’s better to take notice.”
It’s been a busy series for Ashwin, who claimed his 500th Test wicket in the third match in Rajkot and left the match abruptly to be with his ailing mother in Chennai.
Ashwin, who was admonished by her for abandoning his team mid-match, soon came back to haunt England’s batsmen, claiming his 36th five-wicket haul, the most by an Indian, in his 100th Test in the series finale in Dharamsala.
England batting mainstay Joe Root explained why Ashwin, who combines the guile of a spinner with the aggression of a fast bowler, is such a tough bowler.
“He mixes spin, side spin, he can pull into the stumps really well, he can use the crease (and) spread out, he’s got carrom balls and a lot of different tricks,” Root said in a video of Sky Cricket’s website podcast on the eve of the final Test.
Ashwin’s stellar performance did not surprise head coach Rahul Dravid, who also praised the spinner’s performance.
“Ash coming back after what he’s been through … to me, it really represented what this team is about and the character of this team.
“That was probably the highlight of the series for me and it really warms your heart as a coach.
