India's Ashwin 'happy' to embrace pressure / Photo: © AFP
India's Ashwin 'happy' to embrace pressure
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.
"You want to do well. You want to excel on the global stage. People are watching you and you feel happy about it."
N.Roberts--TNT
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