Ravichandran Ashwin has been the leader of India’s spin bowling attack in Test cricket for several years. The off-spinner has come leaps and bounds in his career and become a proven match-winner in Test matches. He made his name under the leadership of MS Dhoni in T20 cricket. Once he started performing well in Test cricket, Virat Kohli took over the reins of Test captaincy from Dhoni.
Unlike Dhoni, Virat is an aggressive skipper that has a different plan for all his bowlers. Ashwin recently admitted that Kohli is a very different captain that always thinks like a batsman. He is a very pro-active captain that is always giving his suggestions to his bowlers and trying different plans to take wickets.
Virat Kohli throws challenge to bowlers – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin shared insights about how Virat Kohli is as a captain and recalled his first away tour in Sri Lanka. The tweaker said that Kohli follows his instincts and never hesitates in trying something out of the ordinary. The current India captain understands batting well and is always ready to give his in-depth details to the bowlers.
“When it came to batting and batsmen, Virat made suggestions which is great because a large part of my success came because of how I knew how to hold a bat, score runs and think as a batsman. When Virat gives you a perspective of the batsman, it gives me an understanding in a depth of detail. But I still have the autonomous detail in me to say, I want this or I don’t want this”, Ashwin told Cricbuzz.
He added, “And Virat is very different when he gives you certain suggestions. We were in his first away tour of Virat as a captain in Sri Lanka and I was going through this unbelievable spell at Galle where whatever I dreamt of was happening. During this spell, Jehan Mubarak walked into the crease and there was a point, a cover, an extra-cover, mid-off, mid-on and square leg. Slip, gully and silly point was natural”.
Ravichandran Ashwin also talked about how Kohli attacks with his fielding changes. He recalled an incident when Kohli asked him to bowl with a fielder in the cover region. Although the incident took Ashwin by surprise but worked well as India managed to steal a wicket.
“Virat picked out that extra man at cover and put him at leg slip. Virat then came and said ‘Ash I think you should have a short leg also’. I said ok we can move the leg slip to short leg. He said ‘no-no, I think you should also have a short leg ‘ and he removed covers. And he told me you bowl whatever you want to bowl, but there is no cover”.
“And I told, “Virat there is no cover? For a left-hander, the ball is turning away and there is no cover?” He was like ‘abbe chal na daal, chauka gaya toh gaya’. I was like ok what’s there and I went and bowled the ball. It pitched and straightened and it went straight to short leg”, Ashwin concluded.
