Turning alone did not give me windows, the rhythm and cunning did: Ashwin in the Chepauk field

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed Tuesday that it wasn’t just the twist that Chepauk’s pitch offered gave him windows, but that “pace and cunning” did the trick in Test 2 against England here.

The quality of the pitch has been a subject of intense debate with former greats like Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan on social media, while England’s assistant coach Graham Thorpe called it “challenging.”

Ashwin, who was named man of the match for his game figures of 8 in 96 and a brilliant century in India’s second inning, played down talks about the state of the field.

“As much as people were predicting things from the outside, I thought the balls that were doing a lot weren’t getting windows. It was the hitters’ minds that got us ground, ”Ashwin said.

“I’ve been playing here for years and it takes rhythm and cunning to do it. Keeping the intention was very important, ”he said after India’s massive 317-run win to tie the four-game series 1-1.

Ashwin said he enjoyed his game in front of the home crowd as he is “aware” of the conditions at home.

“Each load gives a different result in terms of how the field behaves. I try to charge differently, I use the breeze, I use different angles to release the ball, running speed. This is working because I have created this awareness for myself.

“This wicket was very different from the one we played in the first game. This was a red dirt gate, the first was a clay gate, ”said the 34-year-old man who is only six from the 400 gate milestone.

Speaking of his fifth ton of test that came in the second inning from India, he said: “It is very important to put pressure on the bowlers, because if you let them dictate the terms it will be easier.”

“I just wanted to take it on myself, and after hitting the first ball, I knew I got the hang of this wicket. I’m someone who tries hard, and when things don’t go my way, I try harder. “

Ashwin said his hitting followed the advice of hitting coach Vikram Rathour and vice captain Ajinkya Rahane.

“Vikram Rathore has been very supportive. My hitting was more about hands, thinking tactically than technically.

“Ajinkya played a crucial role in telling me that he was overthinking it. That entry in Sydney really set the tone for me. “

Axar Patel, who took five of 60 in England’s second innings on his Test debut, said the variation in delivery speed helped him.

“It’s a good experience, getting a five-course course on debut is special,” he said.

“A lot happened in the field. It was about varying your speed and I kept doing it. Forced the batter to make mistakes. The first day itself, it was changing. So, we played narrow lines and got the rewards.

Left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took two wickets for 25 runs in England’s second inning, admitted he felt pressure as he hasn’t played many Trials in the past two years.

“I’ve been arguing a lot with Ashwin about bowling in the right areas and putting pressure on hitters.

“It was important to be with the team when they are playing well. My job was to stay in control, contain the races from one end, and participate as one of the three spinners on this track. We’ve been planning this series for a long time, straight from the Australia series. “

Kuldeep said the team was not worried after losing the first round, as they have faced such situations in the past as well.

“We are relaxed, we knew we had the team to come back and perform. Everyone focused on doing well on this test. “

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