‘Make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first’ - Ashwin on century vs six-for comparisons against Bangladesh

Spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin hit a match-defining century in the first innings of the first Test against Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Playing in front of his home crowd, the 38-year-old made 113 runs in the first innings but most importantly, built a crucial partnership of 199 runs alongside Ravindra Jadeja, which helped the hosts post 376 runs in the first innings.

India batted well in the second innings as well. The duo of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant hit a century each as the Rohit Sharma-led side posted a target of 515 runs. Bangladesh batters started well but Ashwin changed the show on Day 4, as he picked up six wickets in the final innings to help the team pick up a massive 280-run win.

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After the game, Ashwin stated that the wickets meant more to him as bowling still comes first to him. He mentioned that batting comes naturally to him and even though he struggled with it at times, he has enjoyed it. He added that it is still a work in progress, which is why, picking up wickets is much more important to him.

“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,” Ashwin said.

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India with the win have solidified their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. They are currently at the top of the table with a 71.67 win percentage.