India’s Ashwin ‘happy’ to embrace pressure

CHENNAI: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said Friday he was basking in the pressure of the Bangladesh series after his counter-attacking century handed India a firm grip over the first Test.

Ashwin, who has 516 career wickets and is playing in his hometown Chennai this week, turned hero with the bat to score 113 in a 199-run seventh-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja. His sixth Test ton lifted India from a precarious 144-6 on day one to 376 as he and Jadeja, a left-hander who scored 86, blunted the Bangladesh bowling.

India bowlers then bundled out Bangladesh for 149, the hosts taking a lead of 227 into their second innings, but Ashwin´s knock stood out. “As a cricketer, the pride is in the performance,” Ashwin told reporters at the end of second day´s play with India on 81-3, extending their lead to 308.

“I do enjoy and embrace pressure,” he said. “As cricketers, we fail more than we succeed. It´s about using the experience from the past to be able to negotiate hard high tide waters.”

Ashwin, 38, entered the 500-wicket club in a home series against England this year and also reached the milestone of 100 Tests. An IT engineer by training, Ashwin has often come to India´s rescue as a lower order batsman and said he was proud to play his backstop role.

“You feel happy at the end of the day. Every time I do well, it leaves me in a good, happy state of mind. That´s what you get on this journey for,” he said with a smile.