Exclusive | ‘Ashwin’s sudden retirement not an encouraging sign for Indian cricket’ – Legendary EAS Prasanna

Batting great and former Australia captain Ian Chappell rates EAS Prasanna as the greatest off-spinner he has played against, high praise considering how good a player of the turning ball the tall right-hander was. Prasanna has a sterling record in and against Australia; in 1967-68, on his first tour Down Under, he finished with 25 wickets from four Tests while overall, he took 57 wickets against the Aussies in 13 Tests, including five of his 10 five-wicket innings hauls.

An erudite and astute cog of the legendary spin quartet of the 1960s and ‘70s, Prasanna took 189 wickets from 49 Tests. He missed five years of international cricket right at the start of his career to honour his word to his late father and complete his engineering degree, which cost him a fair few wickets. Now a very alert 84 who watches cricket with the same passion with which he played it, Prasanna doesn’t hold back his punches even today.

‘Disappointed with how Ashwin treated’

Prasanna has followed the career of the recently retired R Ashwin with great interest. He has a certain fondness for his fellow engineering degree holder and minces no words when he calls out what he calls the ‘unfair treatment’ meted out over the years to the off-spinner from Chennai,
who signed out with 537 wickets from 106 Tests.

“First up, let me express my disappointment at the manner in which Ashwin has been treated,” Prasanna tells Firstpost. “I thought over the years that there was a lot of change in Indian cricket and administration as well. But it looks to me like what was happening in the early 1970s still continues to happen. That means history is repeating itself because I thought the present administration would have changed their line of thinking as far as the contribution of an Indian cricketer is concerned.

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“I am very disappointed in the way in which they have treated Ashwin because I still am of the opinion that he is our prime bowler and his achievement speaks volumes for itself. And they are treating him like this, which means there is something wrong somewhere and that is not an encouraging sign for Indian cricket.

“He would not have opened his mouth and expressed his disappointment because of the dynamics of Indian cricket,” he adds. “The way in which he has been treated whenever the team has gone abroad and whenever he has been in the squad… The preference has never been towards the prime wicket-taker in the team. Obviously, it must have played on his mind. That disappointment must have ruled him. And many people feel that the way they are looking at him, why can’t they look at the batters? The biggest question that comes to my mind is: Are they looking at the batters in the same manner? No. I am not going to mention names but definitely, if you look at the batters, only a few batters are given similar consideration. It is very annoying and disappointing.”

‘Ashwin is incredible’

Like so many others, the 38-year-old Ashwin’s mid-series retirement in Australia, with two of the five Tests still to go – in Melbourne and Sydney, which has the reputation of assisting spinners – has taken Prasanna by surprise. “In fact, he should have all played the matches,” Prasanna insists. “Never mind whether he takes a lot of wickets or not. The psychological advantage that India would have had over Australia, playing Ashwin in the team, you know, that little fear psychosis which is prevalent… He is your main bowler, you don’t know when he is going to strike gold. That was lost, right? What I mean is that the psychological advantage India would have gained by having him in the XI was frittered away. I think he would have had a big role to play in Sydney. I am 100% sure. Melbourne is a question mark because Melbourne has got some weird climatic conditions but in Sydney, he would have played an important role.”

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Prasanna has nothing but the highest regard for India’s second most prolific Test wicket-taker, behind leg-spinner Anil Kumble. “He is incredible, his achievement is remarkable,” he gushes. “The way in which he started his career and the way in which he has continued to take wickets is astonishing. Let me tell you one thing, it is incredibly difficult to take a five-wicket hauls in an innings in Test cricket. He has got that 37 times. It speaks to his caliber and to the quality of his spin bowling.

“I have always been saying that for any spinner, length being mandatory and line optional should be the major criterion because no captain can set a field for a short ball. I think one of his standout features was maintaining his length. At the same time, he had the big-heartedness to do extraordinary things and learn various types of deliveries that are existing or are being talked about. He discussed that with past spinners and current spinners and used his own imagination. His totally probing and experimental approach to bowling is the secret to his success.”

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Certain that Ashwin’s records will stand the test of time, Prasanna croons, “He is one of the best spinners of the present era. He has taken the spinning department, especially off-spinners, to a very high level. That too to such a high level that I am afraid I don’t see another spinner emulating him at all.

“There have been some discussions about off-spin bowling, but he is a gentleman and he is an intelligent cricketer. He need not discuss things with us. He was inquisitive in finding answers to the numerous questions he had. One thing’s for sure. At many of his interactions and speeches, he has discussed our capabilities and our type of bowling. Things such as, Prasanna’s bowling and the ball hanging in the air, me taking a lot of time to release the ball after the batsman commits to a stroke, that sort of thing. All this is sort of a value-add to his bowling.”