Ashwin enjoys the Midas touch

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Indian cricketers and Ashwin’s TN teammates — Subramaniam Badrinath, Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund — and his mentor Sunil Subramaniam share some of their thoughts on the
off-spinner’s riveting Test debut.

On Ashwin’s debut series:
Badrinath: For someone playing in his first Test series, Ashwin showed a lot of maturity. After proving his mettle in the limited overs formats, it is thrilling to see him make a seamless shift into the Test arena. The West Indies series is something Ashwin will cherish forever.

Vijay: Winning the man of the series award speaks volumes of Ashwin’s quality. He is a confident player and knows what he is doing. His performance will definitely motivate the rest of us in the Tamil Nadu ranks.

Abhinav: It has been a dazzling Test entry for Ashwin. He deserves every bit of accolades that’s been coming his way. He works really hard on his game and keeps trying to do new things with the ball. He is always keen to talk, share and iron out his flaws.

Sunil Subramaniam: Just one word: brilliant. Ashwin has proved that he deserves to be up there among the best.

On his maiden century:
Badri: Ashwin was in complete control during that stupendous knock. Staying calm at the crease would have also helped him immensely. I knew he had the spirit to contribute with the bat at this level.

Vijay: Scoring a Test century is no mean task. I have always told Ashwin that he is a better batsman than what he thinks he is.

Abhinav: To score a Test hundred is every batsman’s dream. If I were Ashwin, I would enjoy the century more than all the wickets taken in the match (giggles). On a serious note, it is not surprising to see Ashwin deliver with the bat. After all, he has a couple of first-class tons under his belt.

Sunil: Ashwin’s temperament came to the fore during his stay at the crease. He showed he could bat as well.

On whether Ashwin should have made a better attempt to steal the second run which would have handed India the victory:
Badri: Considering the situation, I thought Ashwin should have sprinted the first run before making a dash back at the wicketkeeper’s end. Who knows, the fielder or the ‘keeper might have fluffed it under pressure.

Vijay: To be honest, Ashwin showed a lot of maturity in handling the situation. I think we should rather look at the positives than trying to dig out cynicism. Ashwin, along with Virat Kohli, did a fabulous job to take India that close; lets appreciate that.

Sunil: The presence of mind for such a young cricketer is exemplary. He made sure India did not stand a chance to lose by not going for a wild slog off the penultimate delivery.

On how Ashwin would fare in Australia:
Badri: Rest assured, the Australian tour would be demanding under trying conditions. Nevertheless, Ashwin is well equipped to come out triumphs. He has a good cricketing brain.

Vijay: At the moment, he is in the right frame of mind. I am sure he will come out firing on all cylinders.

Abhinav: He has made a good start to his Test career and I am sure he will carry on in the same vein. His height will help him extract more bounce at the Australian wickets.

Sunil: The grounds are pretty big in Australia and that would play to Ashwin’s advantage. He possesses all the right variations and knows to bowl according to the match situation.