Ashwin is a genuine all-rounder in Test cricket

Tanay Tiwari 19:09 18/11/2016
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  • India’s scorecard read 316/4 when Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed just nine balls before the close of day one’s play in Visakhapatnam. In walked Ravichandran Ashwin at number six during what was a tricky period.

    The light was fading and the new ball was swinging for James Anderson. Virat Kohli and Ashwin were able to fend off the rest of the deliveries without further damage.

    However, Ashwin’s real test came on day two, facing a relatively new ball against fresher English pacers which included Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes. And like he’s done on so many occasions, the Chennai-born cricketer didn’t disappoint.

    He batted beautifully in the first hour on the morning of day two and fended off the palpable threat of the new ball. After skipper Kohli got out, followed by Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession, Ashwin batted sensibly with Jayant Yadav (who was exceptional on debut) to string together two instrumental partnerships.

    When Saha and Jadeja were dismissed, the scorecard read 363/7 and things didn’t look good for India. It seemed like a lower-order collapse would squander the foundation of a good start. But some technically sound batting from Ashwin and a an impressive performance from Yadav turned things around.

    Ashwin’s rise as a reliable Test batsman in 2016 has been phenomenal. He started 2016 the year an excellent century against the West Indies in the first Test in Antigua.

    Since then, he’s had an excellent time with the bat. His bowling figures have definitely been path-breaking, but his batting has been extremely pivotal in ensuring that the opposition does not run through India’s lower-middle-order.

    Where Ashwin has done really is in his composure at the crease which has meant that even if the Indian innings hit a rough patch, he’s been there to steady the ship.

    ASHWIN AS A TEST BATSMAN IN 2016

    • Matches: 9
    • Runs: 466
    • Average: 46.60
    • Centuries: 2

    Number six is a crucial position in a Test batting line-up and Ashwin has risen to the occasion more often than not, to substantiate his place at that spot. He proved that in Gros Islet where the top-order failed to score and India were reduced to 126/5.

    Ashwin, alongside Saha, batted sensibly to drive India out of a perilous situation. This helped India post a decent total of 353, with the Chennai lad scoring an excellent 118 and ensuring that India didn’t have a paltry first innings score.

    Batting at number six also means that Ashwin, on most occasions, doesn’t have much time to recover between innings. This has motivated him to work on his fitness.

    Ashwin has emerged as an indispensable cog in the Indian Test unit and his batting has got as much to do with that as his bowling. In 2016, Ashwin averages just below 50 with the bat which is phenomenal for someone who takes the number of wickets he does.

    Slowly, but surely, Ashwin has established himself as a genuine all-rounder and his message is clear – he is here to stay.

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