Ravichandran Ashwin opens up on Alex Carey's dismissal
Ravichandran Ashwin celebrating a dismissal [Source: AP]
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reached a significant milestone on Day 1 of the first Test match between India and Australia being played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
The seasoned cricketer surpassed 450 wickets in Test matches by dismissing Australian wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey.
This achievement places Ashwin in the annals of Indian cricket as the second-highest wicket-taker, with only the legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble ahead of him.
The wizardry displayed by Ashwin in accomplishing this feat in just 89 Test matches, places him in close proximity to the Sri Lankan spin prodigy Muttiah Muralitharan, who achieved the feat in a mere 80 Test matches.
Ahead of the play on Day 3, Ashwin shared his thoughts on Carey’s dismissal.
The veteran spinner stated that when batsmen come to the Indian subcontinent, they often lack trust in their defensive strategies and tend to rely more on premeditated shots like sweeping and reverse sweeping as a form of defence.
He thinks that this tendency will persist throughout the series, giving him a clear advantage.
"I think when batters come to this part of the world, they don't trust their defences much. They get into premeditation more often; sweeping and reverse sweeping look like their defence. Throughout the series, they will be playing this which is handing me an advantage."
After dismissing Carey, Ashwin, who had displayed a touch of rustiness during the morning session, regained his composure and found his rhythm once again.
The office got rid of Pat Cummins and then went on to claim the final wicket of the innings, Scott Boland, for 1.
The talisman also contributed with the bat, scoring handy 23 runs after he came on as a nightwatchman on Day 1.