Hyderabad win just the beginning: Ashwin
After losing eight straight matches, India finally won a Test when they thrashed New Zealand by an innings and 115 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday. And the man responsible, R. Ashwin, was a picture of composure, hinting at steely resolve to take India back to the pinnacle of Test cricket.
Ashwin therefore refused to dwell on the horror that was their previous season.
“It’s cricket, you win some and you lose some. I don’t like to dwell on the past. I’m really happy we won our first match of the home season and we will look to keep this up,” the off-spinner said after his spectacular match figures of 12/85, the best ever by an Indian spinner against New Zealand.
As good as his analysis was in the match, Ashwin said he was making sure he didn’t get carried away by it. “I never let my performances — both good and bad — get to me. I’m really happy at having bowled well. This is a good start and the pressure will be off me. I can now enjoy my game,” he said.
New Zealand’s travails against spin are well documented, but Ashwin said he did not believe the visitors were under any kind of psychological pressure, coming into the game.
“While their past failures against spin may have been playing on their minds, I wouldn’t say we had the edge over them. The last time we played them here, we didn’t win the game. So we arrived here a little apprehensive. By the end, we played better than they did.”
Ashwin said he enjoyed bowling on the Hyderabad pitch. “There was a lot in it for the bowlers and the batsmen could score runs as well,” he said.
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