R Ashwin’s ‘boring’ quality gets special mention after terrific show vs BAN: ‘This is not a blacksmith’s game but…’

The veteran off-spinner claimed 11 wickets in two Tests against Bangladesh and was named Player of the Series for his all-round efforts as he also scored a crucial century in Chennai. He got the job done whenever the Indian team desperately needed a wicket.

In the Chennai Test, he made a strong statement with a hard-fought century in the first inning, but his job didn’t end there. He returned to dampen Bangladesh’s hopes of orchestrating a 515-run chase with a six-wicket haul to help India seal a 280-run victory.

Meanwhile in Kanpur, he was a constant threat to Bangladesh batters with his bewitching spells and spin craft. He stung Bangladesh in crucial junctures, limited their range of strokes, and helped India win against the weather in a rain-curtailed Test in Kanpur.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra pointed out the boring aspect of Ashwin’s bowling, which is actually a fantastic way to achieve success in Test cricket.

“Ravichandran Ashwin’s speciality is this. You need to learn that being boring is a fantastic thing in Test cricket. You need to keep bowling the same thing repeatedly at the same place. This is not a blacksmith’s game but a goldsmith’s game,” he responded.

‘Goldsmith keeps working on a single area’: Chopra’s big praise for Ashwin

The former cricketer-turned-commentator further pointed out the importance of bowling in the same area to create doubts in the batter’s mind.

“A blacksmith hits hard, makes like that, and the noise is also very loud, but the goldsmith keeps working on a single area, and then a very nice jewellery piece is created. This is actual bowling of Test cricket, where you keep bowling in one area so that the batter gets troubled and tries something different. We have seen people getting out while doing something different,” Chopra explained.

After their record-extending 18th consecutive Test series win at home, India’s next red-ball assignment will be against the inaugural World Test Champions New Zealand in a three-match series.