IND vs ENG: Overwhelmed Ashwin Dedicates Man Of The Match To 'Knowledgable' Chennai Crowd

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Tuesday dedicated his Man-of-the-Match-winning all-round performance in the second Test against England to the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium 'Chepauk' crowd in hi

While the pitch for the second Test drawing polarised reactions from former players and commentators for the amount of turn it offered for spinners from the first day, Ashwin said that it takes skill to take wickets in such conditions.

"Those balls that were doing so much weren't getting the wickets; it was the mind getting the wickets. It's not easy as it looks. I have been bowling for years and it takes a certain amount of pace and guile to do it," he said.

Ashwin said that batsmen Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane and batting coach Vikram Rathour spoke to him while he was batting on the third day.

"I think keeping the intent was very, very important. I was having a chat with Rohit and the batting coach about the options to put pressure on the bowler than waiting for the loose balls. The first couple of sweeps I connected, I got a hang of the wicket," he said.

"I'm someone who tries hard, and when it doesn't go my way, I try harder. It's not just Vikram alone; it was more about hands and getting through the ball, think tactically and not technically. Ajinkya told me I was overthinking, and that innings in Sydney set the tone for me."