Memories stored in the caverns of the brain are akin to small capsules that burst forth at a given time. When an emotional-looking Ravichandran Ashwin bid adieu to international cricket on the final day of the Gabba Test, the mind couldn’t help but chisel out a long journey back to February 2009. And those evocative memories flashed mainly because of Ashwin sharing his thoughts on the teammates that he had played with in the press conference, especially one certain Ajinkya Rahane.
The memory is from a Duleep Trophy final between West Zone and South Zone. Ashwin, all of 22 and probably wearing sunglasses, was playing for South Zone, at his home ground in Chennai. Ashwin was up against his future India teammate, Rahane. The recollections are slightly vague to describe the battle between the duo in detail.
However, if the duo were to meet for a cup of coffee and end up in friendly banter about this particular game, then Rahane would have bragging rights. Right after the tea break, on day 1, with West Zone in a position of strength, Rahane repeatedly swept Ashwin. He also crossed the 100-run mark. On day 2, Ashwin had the last laugh as he trapped Rahane in front, with the latter playing on the back foot.
The memory train doesn’t stop there. The next station is again the Duleep Trophy. It was the 2009-10 season, with South Zone locking horns against Central Zone. In that game, Ashwin didn’t pick up any scalps in the first dig. Just when you started to ponder his spin-bowling abilities, the affable cricketer ripped through the cream of the opposition in the second essay by taking a six-for. He compiled a stylish fifty as well. It was probably a different version of Ashwin. He mostly used his fingers and arms to extract turn, but he had clearly showcased his potential in that match.
A year later, Ashwin went on to become a World Cup winner. But he was yet to make his Test debut. The proud moment for Ashwin arrived in Delhi, in 2011, with the all-rounder donning the Indian cap for the first time.
Darren Bravo of the West Indies turned out to be his maiden Test wicket. A couple of overs before Bravo’s dismissal, it seemed as if the pair were involved in a cat-and-mouse game. From round the wicket, Ashwin bowled a couple of deliveries with a flatter trajectory. Bravo duly defended them. Just before the lunch break, Ashwin bowled a ball that was shorter in length, with Bravo essaying the cut stroke. As the umpires signalled time for lunch, it felt as if Bravo had a slight upper hand.
When play resumed, Bravo’s world came crashing down with a thud. The first ball that Bravo faced from Ashwin was on the fuller side, with the left-hand batter nudging one through the on-side for a double. The very next ball, Ashwin rattled the timber. Although the shot selection from Bravo was poor, Ashwin had outmanoeuvered him.
The off-spinner had observed that Bravo preferred to play the cut stroke. So, he offered a few deliveries that were fuller in length before landing the killer blow with an off-spinner from wide of the crease, bowled at about 85 kph. The wider angle meant that there was no room for the left-hand batter to essay the stroke.
By then, the brain had transported back to present times. Ashwin’s short press conference too was over. On expected lines, his eyes seemed a bit moist. After all, he was leaving behind a trail of representing his country for 14 years, 765 wickets and over 3000 runs in Test cricket. Ideally, he deserved a farewell with a guard of honour, but it wasn’t to be.
Somewhere in the corner of the memory bank, the last bits of Ashwin’s career would be stored. But those few words would be overshadowed by his cricketing achievements, and how he seemed to have his own imaginary laboratory where he carved out different ways to outsmart his opponents.