Every Test will be a blessing for me from now, says Ravichandran Ashwin

Five years after making his debut in whites, Ravichandran Ashwin is set to feature in his 50th Test match for India, as the team prepares to face Sri Lanka at Galle. Post the team’s practice session, Ashwin spoke to the media about his approaching milestone.

Talking about his Test journey that started in 2011

“I have come back to a place where I did really well in 2015. It is a dream come true. It was a momentous occasion for me then as well, because I was making a comeback into the Test side. I managed to take a 6-fer [and eventually a ten-fer]”.

“50th Test is something that has come about. I am not able to go back and trace it, but I have been grateful. Every Test match from here is a blessing for me”.

About preparation for a Test match and setting targets

“Looking behind, I might have set some targets for myself. I will not be setting targets looking ahead, the past has taught me that. You can’t get ahead, can’t set records for the future. What I can do is get better and improve myself.

“International cricket is very cruel. It can hit you back if you are sitting on your past laurels. You can have a cup of coffee and reminisce, but you have to go ahead and take one test match at a time”.

“[50 Tests on], the preparation for a Test is the same but my awareness as a cricketer has increased. I now know what learnings I can put into practise. I have become more knowledgeable and gained better perspective which has put me in better stead”.

Comparing the series with the 2015 Sri Lanka tour

“We were sandwiched between a leadership takeover. Kohli had just taken over in Australia [December 2014], and we had played a one-off Test against Bangladesh before coming here. Looking back, we set a lot of goals for each other and have achieved them with flying colours over the last two years”.

Three milestones that he remembers the most

“Being the cricketer of the year in 2016 was definitely the icing on the cake. The 4-0 triumph over England [Test series last year], they were a far better side than the result showed. Every time was like a boxing game”.

[Thirdly] the win in Bangalore Test on the fourth day after being 0-1 down in Pune [against Australia this year].

On Ravi Shastr's appointment as coach

We are well past that moment. The decision has been made and it is not something I can really comment on. Ravi bhai has been a fabulous person to have in the dressing room. He was here the last time [in 2015]. When we lost in Galle, he really picked us up at a low point in our careers and he is someone who can have a really positive influence.

Comparing his former self with the current Ashwin

I am lot more calmer now. I was more of a cat on a hot tin roof. I was looking forward to playing well. My performances need to be a lot more better for me to get anywhere in my career. Mediocre days are a part of a cricketer’s career, but it is very important to learn from that. I can say I am a far better player than what I was”.

His most memorable dismissals

“Sangakkara in the second Test [in 2015], AB de Villiers in Nagpur the same year. The wicket was helpful but the set up was very, very good. Shaun Marsh at Sydney in the second innings [2014], David Warner in Bangalore [earlier this year], I think I have done reasonably well as a cricketer”.

How his batting has fared over the years

“I have achieved reasonably well as a batsman. I have high benchmarks but I am low on the average I would have wanted. I started off at at 42-43, but today I have 32-33. Could have done a lot better, but tennis elbow issues pulled me down.

Last series I had some pretty innocuous dismissals, so I will try to put it behind me. The graph is on the way back”.

How he felt after being dropped from the Adelaide Test [2014]

To put it bluntly, it doesn’t mean that much to me.

As a cricketer, I want to be excellent. I don't want to be a survivor. If it is not going my way, it is not. I can do very well in lot of other careers in my life, I think I am intelligent enough to cope with it. I don’t like to hold onto things. The day I can't perform, I don’t think any body needs to tell.

I am not a desperate person. I have a lot of pride in myself. I can do so much. The way I talk stems from the fact that I can be excellent.

As a cricketer, if you can shut people outside, life becomes a lot easier. It is harder for me, because I expect a lot out of myself.

On overseas tours

Towards the first half of my Test career, I went on the difficult tour of Australia [in 2012], now that I realise, it was actually very difficult for a finger spinner.

One thing I pride myself is, that when I went again, the second time, I was a far better bowler. Home or away, I do the same things I have done over the last two three years.

On Indian women falling a step short in the World Cup finals

They [the Indian team] deserved to win the game. The final was intense. Extraordinary effort by the team, but unfortunately we lost. It is very difficult to pinpoint on what went wrong, but the effort has put women’s cricket back on the map and it is going to change how women’s cricket is perceived in India and that is what we have to look forward to”.