Ashwin starts off this chapter with his efforts to impress Dhoni, the Indian captain at that time. In the Challenger Trophy Ashwin managed to keep Dhoni quiet but wasn’t able to pick up his wicket. In a shortwhile, Ashwin as picked in the Indian squad for a couple of T20s against Sri Lanka. He is new to the Indian players and on the team bus, he picks the last seat to sit. He does not get to play in any of the T20s. Harbhajan comes back for the ODIs. Later in the season, he was picked in the ODI squad. Again, he doesn’t get to play in the game.
Trying to impress Dhoni
2010 and Ashwin is quietly confident that this year, Dhoni will pick him in the playing eleven. Fleming retired and became the coach of CSK. Fleming had different ideas. He wanted all the eleven players on the field to be involved all the time. If a ball is hit towards deep cover, the fielder running towards the ball must have a backup running with him. Mid-off should move to the bowler’s end to collec the throw. All the players must move throughout the innings. Ashwin is part of the playing eleven for a couple of games and dropped for the rest despite bowling reasonably well.
He could not understand the reason and kept on prodding VB Chandrasekhar who was the director of cricket in CSK. VB did not like his constant questioning and complains about Ashwin to his cousin who informs Ashwin’s parents.
Later, someone from the CSK setup, calls Ashwin and asks him to rejoin the squad. Ashwin replied that he expected the coach Fleming to call instead of someone from the franchise. Well, this was bad attitude on the part of Ashwin. Soon, Fleming meets him and Ashwin complains that he expected Fleming to have informed him the reason for being dropped. Anyway, now that he was back in the team, he gets a couple of games where he bowled pretty well. That season, CSK end up winning the title with Ashwin being among the important contributors.
The Tamil Nadu team
By now Ashwin had become a regular in the Indian team though he doesn’t get to play in games. At those times, he missed being part of the Tamil Nadu dressing room, mainly because the Tamil Nadu team were winning and everyone knows everyone else. During his time with the Indian team, Gary Kirsten tells him that there was a genuine possibility that Ashwin will be part of the ODI World Cup in 2011. He asked Ashwin to work on his fielding drills and also to work with Paddy Upton. He trains with Paddy Upton and was quite keen on improving his overall fitness.
Then he goes onto describe about the Champions League in 2010 where he was declared the player of the tournament. On his return back to the Indian side for the ODI series against New Zealand, most of the main choice players left for South Africa, Gambhir becomes the captain. He encouraged Ashwin to bowl the way he wanted. At the end of the game, Gambhir makes it a point to mention Ashwin for the win. At the end of the series, with India winning 5-0, Gambhir told Ashwin that he was the reason for the win and not Gambhir himself, who got the player of the series award.
If not for Ashwin willing to bowl in the powerplay and all the difficult phases of the game, the team would not have won. Ashwin was elated. Ashwin then gets selected in the full strength team for the ODI series in South Africa. For the first time, he believed that he could be part of the World Cup squad.
Ashwin and fielding
Ashwin also insists that he is not a poor fielder as he is perceived to be. He is a safe fielder. Poor fielder is one who misfields often, drops catches and in general is slow around the ground. Ashwin at that stage, dropped both the catches that came his way at the highest level. The Ashwin we have seen so far, is pretty slow around the ground though he does not misfield as often.
World Cup 2011. India starts off with a win against Bangladesh. After 4 games, he finally gets to play against the West Indies. Lo behold, he also holds onto his very first catch at international cricket. He goes onto play a pivotal role in the quarterfinals against Australia but wasn’t required for the semifinals and the finals. With the trophy won and the team celebrating, Gary Kirsten finds time to pull Ashwin aside and tell him,
“Boy, I’m telling you, you’re a really, really special cricketer. The kind of strides you made from 2009 to 2011 is every aspect of your game… See, everyone comes in here with what they’re god at and also their weaknesses. They continue to play to their strengths and they try to hide their weaknesses but very few come in with their strengths, evolve with their strengths, know what their weaknesses are and work on those weaknesses. And I haven’t seen another cricketer who has come into the team as a youngster and within the first two years, spotted their weaknesses and kept ironing them out. You’ve got a great career ahead of you. You must retain this attribute.”
With this, I come to the end of the book.
https://icricketcritique.com/ashwin-and-the-opening/
https://icricketcritique.com/it-was-all-on-the-streets/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-heartbreak-and-the-elation/
https://icricketcritique.com/ashwin-and-his-early-games/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-ashwin-autobiography-continuation/