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Updated January 4th, 2022 at 12:10 IST

Theory to application: Why Ashwin's gritty 46 vs SA is not a mere face-saver for India

Much has been said about Ashwin's knock being valuable and timely, but looking at what he said before the game, it certainly shows he had his plans worked out.

Reported by: Sai Aswin
R Ashwin vs South Africa
Image: BCCI | Image:self
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In the ongoing Test match vs South Africa, Team India star Ravichandran Ashwin scored a gritty 46 off 50 balls and helped his team post 202 on board. Although not a big total, it is something for the bowling unit to work with given it's still just Day 2 of the Test match.

Much has been said about Ashwin's knock being valuable and timely, but looking back at what he said before the game, it certainly shows he had his plans worked out.

After Day 1, Ashwin spoke about his aggressive knock but played down the technical aspects of it. He modestly said that he didn't have any idea to simply go out there and attack, but he also mentioned that he had game plans and it worked.

The latter part about his 'game plans' is what that needs to be looked at here.

Right before the game, Ashwin took to his YouTube channel and spoke about the Wanderers ground. He elucidated certain aspects of the ground. 

The veteran spinner spoke about the plan and construction of the ground and said, "Since it (Wanderers) has a well laid plan, spectators can get a closer view of the match. As a player too, you can have a closer view since the ground itself is small."

He also pointed out how the ground is 6000 ft above sea level, around 2000 metres above land.

The Tamil Nadu ace said, "If you hit the ball, it automatically reaches the next street instead of next house. That's the kind of altitude. Thin air, resistance is low. If you slog the ball, it's going to travel. In fact, South Africa have played several high-scoring matches at this place."

The off-spinner then cited South Africa's famous game against Australia where they chased down 434 and made history. 

Ashwin can say all about not having a plan to be agressive given he doesn't generally give away much to the media, but it's safe to say that sure was the idea, although he did apply it smartly. 

The all-rounder started off by playing some smooth drives along the ground to keep his strike rate flowing. The outfield was quick, the ground was small, and he was smart to make full use of it. He picked the gaps and relied on timing, which worked a treat for him. 

However, right after the quick dismissals of Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur, Ashwin started taking the aerial route, applying the 'thin air-low resistance' theory.

Four of Ashwin's six boundaries in the innings - all along the ground - came before Thakur's dismissal. The ex-CSK star was the last recognised batter in the Indian line-up and after he got out, Ashwin quickly realised the need for runs and started playing shots aerially.

His innings was eventful after he changed his approach. He got a couple of boundaries trying to go over the in-field. He attempted to go over covers and was dropped on 44 by Temba Bavuma at deep covers. He then got out for 46 trying to put one in the air towards the 3rd man region, unlucky that he didn't time it too well.

From being aware of the ground's construction to being able to choose his approach based on his batting partner, Ashwin's 46 in the 2nd Test vs South Africa was much more than just a useful knock. It was application of theory that was done quite brilliantly. 

All-rounders have a tough time behind the scenes as they have three aspects to work on - Batting, Bowling and Fielding, unlike other players. The work load certainly is higher for them compared to a specialist batter or bowler. 

After the day's play, Ashwin, on BCCI.tv, explained how he has been working on his batting with Team India coach Vikram Rathour in nets, and how he has the advantage that some specialist batters don't have in terms of playing certain shots. Now this is a man who has put in a lot of work off the field, and the results are there for everyone to see. 

Be it his century at Chennai against England or his outstanding blockathon against Australia in Australia, Ashwin's contributions with the bat have been helping India time and again.

Often, Ashwin's preparation off the field goes unnoticed, just like how his immense improvement in terms of fitness has gone under the radar. But one has to admit that R Ashwin is too valuable an asset for Indian cricket to be undervalued.

His 46 in the 2nd Test against South Africa is not just one of his fantastic performances with the bat in recent times, but it's clear proof of a cricketer who is intelligent, does his homework, and has the guts to apply what he's learnt.

It's not just a timely knock, it was brilliant application of theory as well.

Image: BCCI

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Published January 4th, 2022 at 12:09 IST

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