Aswin Crist ready to take on the opposition in ACC U23 Emerging Players Cup

Tamil Nadu’s victory over Bengal in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy could be partly credited to a brilliant performance from some of their promising youngsters. From the lot right-arm pacer Aswin Crist stands out, being the leading wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a total of 20 scalps.

The Ranji Trophy was also a witness to his consistency as Crist bagged 35 wickets through the season. In spite of known variances between the behaviors of the two balls, the young speedster has exhibited his talent with the white and the red ball equally.

“To be honest, I learned a lot about how to use the white ball during this event. It’s not as if I’ve never played with one, but I got to know more in terms of wicket-taking,” Aswin was quoted by the Indian Express as saying.

He also went on to add, “Since this (white) one doesn’t swing as much as the red ball, accuracy becomes key. If conditions help, wickets will come your way. If not, stemming runs will do the same.”

Crist’s consistency has been rewarded by his first national call-up, where he will sport the India U-23 jersey and represent his team in the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Players Cup. Going into the tournament which begins in three days, Aswin says that he hasn’t made any alterations to the way he gears up for a game of cricket.

“I haven’t made any changes in the way I’m preparing for the event. I’ve been featuring in one-dayers for the last three weeks, and this tournament is also the same,” the youngster stated.

Nevertheless, Crist doesn’t deny that there will be an element of pressure playing on this mind as this platform is obviously the biggest one in his cricketing career so far. “Maybe it’ll be about acclimatizing and the added responsibility of turning out for India,” the young man added.

Although a millennial, Aswin’s clear thinking and maturity on the field is reflected by his words off the field as well. “The ultimate goal is always to do well,” he said. “I don’t want to attach numbers to that by saying, I’m at least going to get these many wickets in these many matches. What is important for me is that if I play a match for a team, I should be able to win it for them. Be it with the ball, the bat, or on the field.” Crist revealed.

An added advantage to Aswin’s success has perhaps been the presence of his close friend and captain, Baba Aparajith. Having played in the IPL and rubbed shoulders with some of the top-notch players in the world, Aparajith has grown in terms of experience and resourcefulness.

Aswin was all praises for his skipper as he said, “As captain, he knows what fields to set when I’m bowling. He also knows when to listen to my suggestions, and when to shoot them down. Not just for me, I feel he’d be the same with any other bowler.”

As the Thoothukudi lad appears for his maiden stint on the national stage, all eyes will be on Aswin Crist’s performance with the ball. Since he has delivered on the domestic stage, with a remarkable bowling average of 29.89 in his first-class career, delivering in the upcoming Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup could perhaps be the first footsteps towards a coveted place in the Indian Premier League, and eventually the Indian Cricket Team.

Written by Subhankar Bhattacharya