The romance of Test cricket has been in full bloom this spring at home. In what has inarguably been four Test matches of riveting cricket, the accent has been on the arrival of youngsters for Team India. Skipper Rohit Sharma succinctly summed up his sentiments after the win in Ranchi, when he said that one needed to be passionate about playing Test cricket for the country.
Indeed, the arrival of youngsters in this series has been the highlight, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Deep having shown what it means to have that hunger for red-ball cricket. Of course, to say that Shubman Gill is a youngster at 24 leave fans confused. He has been around for a few years and shown such mettle, repeatedly.
Where does that leave some of the “oldies”? With the Test series against England already won, the focus shifts to the picturesque setting of Dharamsala for the fifth Test, starting March 7. This match may be academic but in a series where the stakes have been high and Bazball has been buried, how R Ashwin will feature in his 100th Test becomes significant.
Someone as erudite as Sunil Manohar Gavaskar went to the extent of saying Ashwin should be allowed to lead in the Dharamsala Test. These words, said even before the Ranchi game was won, conveyed so much. For, Gavaskar is not known for rhetoric or hyperbole.
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Now in his mid-70s, Gavaskar has seen cricket over generations. For him to accord such a status to Ashwin is indeed huge. Long before the former India captain became a star with the TV microphone in his hand, he was a respected columnist – frank and forthright.
For those who have grown up watching off-spin and how it can mesmerise the batsmen, Indian cricket is blessed to have seen artists in action. For the current generation of young fans who have to use cricket websites to recall, rewind and recreate the magic created by former artists, there was nothing like watching the wily masters of off-spin, with EAS Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan occupying top space.
Pras, as the senior pro was known, was the master of flight, loop, and deceit. His off-spin, whether you watched with the naked eye or through binoculars, was of the magical variety. Cricket was romance in those days, and people went to watch characters for their charisma and class.
Prasanna was a wonderful master, yet unassuming and so simple in life. He belonged to an era where Indian spin bowling was more potent than, perhaps, Diwali bombs. His celebration was never vocal, yet Prasanna took 189 Test wickets in 49 matches.
Venkataraghavan’s off-spin was famed for its accuracy and precision – it was like watching a scientist in a lab. Old-timers talk of how he could keep landing the ball on a 25-paise coin after he tweaked the red ball and released it. After 156 wickets in 57 Tests, he went on to become a respected Test umpire.
After these two, you had the man who made news for many reasons, Harbhajan Singh. Bhajji, as he was popularly known, was no average offie. To have played for India in the Anil Kumble era and captured 417 wickets in 103 Tests was very significant. Sourav Ganguly, who captained him in his formative years, had immense faith in his ability.
Sadly, he also became known for controversies and the advent of the IPL – Indian Premier League – saw him lose his zing. His loop vanished and he became more predictable.
When you become an off-spinner in Indian cricket, comparisons will be made. Maybe not with old stalwarts like Prasanna and Venkat, but Ashwin the newsmaker is certainly aware of how important he has been to Indian cricket. When he was on the verge of getting to the 500-wicket mark in Tests, it was big deal.
Once he achieved it, he had to fly out from Rajkot to see his ailing mother in Chennai. That Ashwin then kept emotion aside and came back for national duty to Rajkot was an act of commitment and passion that illustrated how much he loves playing for India.
He has been around in Test cricket, pure and pristine, for more than 12 years. There are so many feelings around his 100th Test. In an era of wear and tear, even to get to play so many matches is mind-boggling.
The heartless hacks may say he bowls and takes wickets only at home. Pardon those writing such bilge, for Ashwin is one of the most cerebral off-spinners India has produced. It is his bad luck that he has not got more recognition. He has not been treated in the best possible way. Captaincy never came his way, and so many uncharitable words have been uttered, about everything from his fitness to attitude.
Ashwin has been an all-format cricketer, but it is in the theatre called Test cricket where he has delivered his most eye-catching performances. Despite that, he has often been overlooked as India’s frontline spinner on overseas tours. This piece, in no way, is an attempt to be critical of captains and the think-tank. Maybe it is karma or destiny that he never became the captain of India. But anyone who knows Ashwin will tell you that he has the sharpest brain and a brilliant sense of humour, if you follow his YouTube in Tamil.
In Test cricket, Ashwin has been both innovator and destroyer. He can bowl with the old ball, new ball and come up with tricks. If Bhajji made the doosra famous, Ashwin has a repertoire like no one else. Watch his grip, how he has different finger positions over the seam to conjure magic. His variety and unpredictability make him a batter’s nightmare.
And that is why Ashwin being hyped for his 100th Test is a must. Sachin Tendulkar played 200 Tests, Rahul Dravid 163, VVS Laxman 134 and Anil Kumble 132. For a bowler, it’s not so easy. Ashwin has been there in all formats, so the 100th cap in red-ball cricket puts him in the same league, statistically, with Bhajji and speedster Ishant Sharma.
With the series sealed, Ashwin will be more in focus as the fifth Test match nears. For those who have grown up with the longest format of cricket, the cricket in Dharamsala will be as heavenly as the hills nearby.
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