We definitely leaked a lot of runs today, says Ashwin

R Ashwin, personally, enjoyed one of the more fruitful days in Test cricket away from home but from the team’s perspective he would have been happier to see India placed better than what it is now at close of fourth day of the final Test here.

Having scored an even half-century, the offie returned to claim four second-innings wickets (4/102) to join the club of cricketers with 1000 runs and 100 wickets in Tests. He was the chosen man to face the media on the day. Excerpts.

Would you say it’s just reward for you?
Maybe yes. To a greater degree, when what you have been working on, and the efforts you have put in and when it pays off in numbers, it feels heartening. Yes, genuinely I thought this could be a chance where I could create something for the team. Ideally, I would have liked a little bit more control from the other side.

It would have been nice. But they also took us on. I mean you have to give credit to them. They batted very positively. They wanted to take the game forward, which is a very good sign.

Do you think India leaked too many runs?
We definitely leaked a lot more runs than we would have liked to have. They played a few good shots but we started off pretty poorly with the new ball.

Definitely, the game could have been different; the way we applied pressure, the way the ball was spinning, the way it was coming out for me, it could have been a lot different. Having said that it is still pretty decently poised.

They definitely have an ace up, but we will have to see how it goes. We batted pretty well in Adelaide. When I batted there weren’t many devils in the wicket. I definitely found it a little hard to score. It’s a new-ball wicket.

How would you describe the wicket?
It’s a wicket where you apply and bat, it is hard to get you out. You can put a price on your wicket. I was batting there till the afternoon. It’s all in the way how a batsman applies and bats.

Joe Burns showed a bowler can be taken on and taken on with a lot of success. It all depends on how positively you can bat, and what techniques you can adopt. Definitely it is going to be a positive game tomorrow.

You batted for long which means Australia have less time to get India out…
Honestly, I didn’t have to think about it. As soon as six balls were over, I was back bowling. It never went through my head honestly.

When I was batting I was looking to bat as long as possible and eat into as many overs as possible. I wanted to make sure if at all a team won, it was going to be India. Fortunately or unfortunately the game is very well poised now. You don’t know where it will go. It depends on what strategy they adopt.
DH News Service