Viswanathan Anand calls Ravichandran Ashwin 'chess player among cricketers'

In a remarkable milestone, India's spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin celebrated his 100th Test match against England at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Paying homage to the cricketing intellect, five-time World Chess champion Vishwanathan Anand lauded Ashwin as a "chess player among cricketers."

In a heartfelt video by the BCCI, Anand expressed his joy in having a lengthy and enjoyable interaction with Ashwin during the pandemic. He praised Ashwin as a chess player among cricketers and encouraged him to bring his peak concentration, considering the 100th Test match as a significant feather in his cap.

“I had a very long and enjoyable interaction with Ashwin during the pandemic. He invited me on his Youtube channel and we discussed so many things. You're the chess player among cricketers and I'm sure you can bring your peak concentration. Enjoy this great occasion. A real feather in your cap,” said Anand.

Ashwin, reflecting on his chat with Anand, revealed that their conversation enlightened him about the ability to train oneself to perform subconsciously, letting the body take control rather than the mind. Recounting Anand's chess insights, Ashwin marvelled at the concept of moves becoming muscular, emphasising that it broadened his perspective on training the subconscious to the extent that the mind relinquishes control, and the body instinctively takes over.

“I've heard a lot of stories about Vishwanathan Anand. You want to meet big people. You want to meet Vishwanathan Anand. But, the fact that I learnt chess and had a bit of chess understanding in me, made me have even more twinkle in my eyes when I was talking to him,” said Ashwin.

“He told me something that after a point of time playing chess became mechanical. When he said mechanical, I though maybe it was mundane for him. But it wasn't because there was a timer that was constantly running. The moves became muscular and that's unbelievable. But it opened my mind up like you can actually train your subconscious to a point where it's not your mind anymore, you body actually just takes over,” Ashwin added.

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Regarding the ongoing Test match, India's bowling prowess was on full display as wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed a five-wicket haul, complemented by Ashwin's four-wicket performance. The English side, despite a strong start, succumbed to a collapse, setting the stage for India's dominance.