Ashwin brings more options on spinning front

The offie has come up with impressive performances in the three ODIs so far

The tall tweaker, like his more celebrated South Indian spin counterpart Anil Kumble, is an engineering graduate and not unlike the legendary leg-spinner, Ashwin relies more on his repertoire of unending variations than prodigious turn off the wicket. Like Kumble, Ashwin too practiced medium pace before switching to spin not too long ago.

The Tamil Nadu bowler, a useful bat down the order, caught everyone’s imagination in IPL III and the subsequent Champions League in South Africa with his miserly spells and wicket-taking abilities at crucial moments for eventual champions in both the tournaments – Chennai Super Kings.

Ashwin conceded a mere 6.10 runs per over and claimed 13 wickets in IPL and followed that impressive show in the CL T20 where he was adjudged the man of the series. In a side where Muttiah Muralitharan’s image looms large, Ashwin’s emergence to the fore is an extraordinary feat in itself.

After having warmed the benches for much of his stint with the Indian one-day side, what with Ravindra Jadeja being the preferred choice, Ashwin is finally getting opportunities to exhibit his skills in the on-going ODI series against New Zealand. For most part of the IPL and the Champions League, CSK skipper MS Dhoni utilised the offie in power plays, and more often than not he justified the faith reposed on him by his captain. The 24-year-old’s ability to think on his feet and outfox the batsmen was the most striking part of his bowling. His reading of the batsman’s mind has been remarkable while his mixing of deliveries, with a fair sprinkling of the carrom ball, has often flummoxed the willow wielders; a fact not lost on Gambhir.  

The Delhi batsman has used Ashwin mostly during field restrictions and towards the end of the innings in the three matches so far and the bowler has come out of the test unscathed. “I think he is a quality bowler,” remarked Gambhir of Ashwin who has bagged six wickets at just over 25 runs in the three matches against the Kiwis. Add to that his one for 34 from nine overs against Australia in Visakhapatnam, Ashwin has showed he belongs to international level in a very short span of time. That he has bowled more than half of his overs during power plays and slog overs, makes his returns all the more impressive.

“I feel that he has done a very good job whenever he has got an opportunity, he is a quality spinner and the way he has bowled in Power Plays and slog overs is a great sign for Indian cricket because as an off-spinner if you bowl in slogs and Power Plays (that) says a lot about his bowling and hopefully he plays for a long time for India. (It’s) just the start of his career and hope he continues to perform the same way,” he noted.

Ashwin, with two first-class hundred to his credit, has the potential to develop into a useful all-rounder as well. He did show glimpses of his batting abilities at the international level with a rapid 38 against Sri Lanka on his debut in Zimbabwe, but since then has got just one opportunity to bat – against New Zealand in Guwahati. His fielding, however, needs to improve. Not a natural athlete, Ashwin will have to work on this aspect a great deal.    

For now though his bowling has masked his short-coming. With the World Cup around the corner, Ashwin for sure has stolen the march from fellow spinners for a second slow bowler’s slot – if India intend to go with two specialist spinners -- in the squad.

He is not an automatic choice in the 11 once Harbhajan Singh returns to the fold, but the youngster has certainly put his rivals on notice.