I wanted to show I was good at No. 6 and wanted to lend some solidity.
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Things could have been worse were it not for some courageous batting from Carlos Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo, who put on 95 for the ninth wicket, holding up India’s victory bid after West Indies slumped to 132 for eight before tea.
Ashwin then unfurled his array of strokes on the second day, the highlight being a straight back-foot punch off West Indies captain Jason Holder.
Ravichandran Ashwin made his third century against the West Indies on the second day of the series. Shikhar was playing really well and I wanted to be positive, if you want to win a Test you have to score quickly and get the bowlers a chance to bowl the opposition out twice. In the first innings, I went wicketless for about 25-25 overs that I bowled in the match.
“It was a very memorable game for me”. “I always value myself as an all-rounder”, Ashwin told BCCI’s official website.
I surely feel that West Indies have to make wholesale changes in their bowling department because apart from Gabriel and Bishoo the bowling looked pedestrian and a club standard bowling attack. Batting at No. 6, there is always more opportunities to get a hundred than at No.8. So, I have started off well on that note.
Ravichandran Ashwin scored a brilliant 113 while batting at No 6. Before the game, we just planned that whenever we go to the field we’ll try to bowl only maiden overs and force errors from the batsman. India registered their biggest victory outside of Asia. “I don’t think we executed well enough”, he added. The wicket tires out on day four and five.
After India captain Virat Kohli enforced the follow-on, the host was then 21-1 at stumps, trailing by 302 runs, and with two days left perhaps only rain can save them. In the first innings, spinners are taking couple of the breakthrough wickets. “We actually had to short change with them for roles and try to give them a break”. “It’s been a bit flat of late but we’ll have to see what our options are when we get there”. Speeds were something that was going to be a challenge as the ball was getting softer and as it got softer, it was hard to get the ball going. “The way we finished the Test, it all panned out pretty nicely”.
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All-rounder Irfan Pathan also congratulated Ashwin. They were never really troubled in the match. I kept speaking to him about what I was doing right and what I wasn’t. Obviously, he felt that my body was not going through as it was a little exhausted.
