I am probably enjoying my game because of what I am doing – Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the lot in the Indian bowlers in the second innings, claiming six wickets for himself while registering his 37th fifer in Tests. With this feat, he equalled the record of the legendary Shane Warne in terms of claiming five wickets while edging past Richard Hadlee. Apart from his bowling brilliance, he was also instrumental with the bat in his hands in the first innings, knitting together a crucial rescue act in the form of a century.

Awarded the Player of the Match for his incredible all-round display, Ashwin opened up at length about what playing at the Chepauk Stadium meant for him while revealing the key strategy with which he reaped the dividends in this intense contest.

Ashwin said, “Every time I play in Chennai in front of this crowd, it's an amazing feeling for me. I have watched a lot of Test cricket and international cricket sitting in those stands. To play in front of those stands, it's a beautifully renovated stadium now, that itself is a special feeling for me.”

Spilling the tea about how simplicity helped him immensely, Ashwin said, “I am probably enjoying my game because of what I am doing and not because of what I want to get out of it. It was an opportunity to fight and dig in deep, that's one of the reasons why we all play the game. I have seen so many of my team-mates do that in the past. I just kept it really simple, have to thank Jadeja for what he did, he just took me through the tough phases of the innings.”

He concluded by talking about his batting, as he said, “Quite a special knock on the first day, didn't sink in until day two. Glad I ended up with a few wickets today as well. I make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first all the time. I think like a bowler mostly but I have made a conscious effort to think like a batter when I walk out with a bat in my hand. Batting is something that comes naturally but yet I have struggled sometimes with my thought getting ahead of myself. I have tried to manage it. Over the last few years, I have managed to compartmentalize both, but it is a work in process.”