Ravichandran Ashwin’s strength is his confidence. After a brief struggle to cement his place in the one-day side, the off-spinner finds himself on the verge of a Test debut against West Indies on November 6.

It was the IPL that put Ashwin on the map but what was conveniently forgotten by his detractors was that he had close to 100 first class wickets before he donned the national cap.

In an exclusive chat, Ashwin opened out on preparing for his first big ‘Test’ and the giant strides he has made in the ongoing season.

Q: Having done well in the shorter versions, the Test call up looked a formality. How anxious were you about making the side?

A: Honestly, not desperate at all. I am a firm believer in performance and if it had to happen I knew it would. It is a dream for any aspirant to get a Test cap and be a part of an Indian team in whites. At the end of the day Test cricket is the real thing. I would like to concentrate on things that I can control and hope for the best.

Q: You have little time to switch to duration cricket, how hard is the transition going to be?

A: It will be a challenge. Some of the variations that I use in T20 and one-dayers will have to be used sparingly in Test cricket. It is time to concentrate on my off-breaks. I have started bowling with the red ball again. The weather in Chennai has not been kind either (laughs). I am planning to spend more time practising with the Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy team. The more I bowl over the next two days the better I am going to get.

Q: No debutant bowler in the recent past has evoked this much interest. You are replacing Harbhajan Singh. Will the pressure a bit high?

A: I don’t think so. I have always done well under pressure and I will be more than happy to execute Dhoni’s plan. I am going to do the same things I have always done. I have not kept anyone out of the side. I have played alongside Harbhajan and he is a class act. I have seen how he goes about his craft and have only gained by playing along with him. I will try and put everything into practice, and try to help the team win.

Q: You have relished bowling during power play, is that mindset natural or something that you worked on?

A: It has to be developed if you have to play cricket at this level. A percentage has to be there naturally as well. It has actually been a part of the learning curve. As a bowler in limited-overs cricket, you are playing mind games with the batsman. It helps if you can hold your ground and think on your feet.

Q: Looking back, your start in international career has gone well, how much has your engineering background helped you?

A: It definitely does, especially in terms of the angles I try and create as a bowler. I have a fair idea of where I can get hit and also in assessing the strength of a batsman. At the end of the day what I have also learnt is you are going to be a good bowler if the bowling unit works well in tandem.

Q: You had spent a lot of time on the bench. How did you stay positive and motivated?

A: I have always answered myself honestly. There were varied advices and I could have got easily carried away. But sitting with an international team was a huge advantage. I learnt a lot by bowling in the nets. And I only saw the good side of everything, which definitely helped me.

First class-Batting

Matches 34
Runs 1170
Avg 35.45
H.S 107*
50/100 7/2

First class-Bowling

Matches 34
Wks 134
Avg 28.12
Best 6/64
5/10 Wks 11/3