IND vs BAN: ‘This is a ground I completely love to play cricket in,’ says Ashwin after sixth Test century
Ashwin credited Ravindra Jadeja for helping him through the innings during their unbroken 195-run partnership.
Published : Sep 19, 2024 20:35 IST , Chennai - 2 MINS READ
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin raises his bat after scoring a hundred against Bangladesh. | Photo Credit: RAGU R/The Hindu
Ravichandran Ashwin has been making wonderful memories at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium recently. Earlier this year, the TNCA honoured him at a special function at the iconic venue to celebrate his achievements after he played his 100th Test and passed 500 wickets.
Then, last month, he guided his TNPL side, Dindigul Dragons, to its maiden title, playing vital knocks in Qualifier-2 (69 n.o. off 30 balls) and the Final (52 off 46 balls).
On Thursday, he made it even more special, completing his sixth Test century for India and second in as many Tests at this venue.
“This is a ground I completely love to play cricket in. It’s given me a lot of wonderful memories,” Ashwin said to the host broadcaster after the day’s play.
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The 38-year-old said the work he had put in during the TNPL helped him out on Thursday.
“It helps that I’m coming off a T20 tournament where I worked quite a bit on batting and playing shots. On a surface like this with a bit of spice, if you’re going after the ball, you might as well go after it hard like Rishabh (Pant) does,” Ashwin explained about his aggressive approach to go for his shots.
“It’s an old-school Chennai surface with bounce and carry. The red soil pitch allows you to play a few shots if you are willing to just get in line and give it a bit of a tonk when there’s width,” he added.
Ashwin also credited Ravindra Jadeja for helping him through the innings during their unbroken 195-run partnership.
“Jadeja was of real help. There was a point when I was starting to tire, but Jaddu helped me through that phase. He’s been solid and one of our best batters. He told me we don’t have to convert two’s into three’s, which was useful for me,” quipped Ashwin.