'Won't they be abusing you in their minds?': R Ashwin handed wake-up call as spinner enters 'when will he leave' phase

Ravichandran Ashwin was back to recording match-winning exploits in the India vs Bangladesh opening Test match in Chennai. While yet another typically heroic performance from the off-spinner, with both ball and bat, has earned him plenty of plaudits, it has also led some to wonder what the future holds for him and Indian cricket.

Ashwin, who celebrated his 38th birthday on the eve of the Chennai Test, has been a consistent figure in India’s Test team since his debut in 2011. He seamlessly filled the shoes of Harbhajan Singh, ensuring that India spin bowling would always be relied upon.

Ashwin reflected on the spinners who are waiting in the wings to step into his shoes, by taking to his Youtube channel to share a humorous anecdote of a conversation he had with his wife Prithi Narayanan regarding this question.

“We were watching some Duleep Trophy highlights the day before yesterday,” said Ashwin in his post-match video. “My wife told me something: 'These off-spinners, won't they be abusing you in their minds while bowling?' They must be thinking, 'When will he leave for us to get a break? When will I get a chance to bowl for the nation?’”

Ashwin has been a regular feature for India in Tests, with this being his 101st Test match. While players such as Jayant Yadav and Washington Sundar have represented India in this timeframe, unsurprisingly nobody has been able to displace Ashwin’s skill with both ball and bat in the lower order.

‘When I look at it now, it brings me to reality.’

Ashwin was also sombre about realising that he is entering a different part of his career as a senior member of the team. “Suddenly, I felt a little off. I realised, yes, I am in that phase now. Even when we were young, we used to wonder about our place in the side. Everybody does it. When I look at it now, it brings me to reality. It makes you realise you have played for a lot of years.”

He also spoke about a little joke he shared with Rohit Sharma, as the two most senior members of the team. “They showed the graphics on Jio, all the ages were going down, and suddenly it comes to me, 38. I asked Rohit when his birthday is, we might be the same age for a few days.”

Ashwin, despite being in his late 30s and a veteran member of the team, has shown no signs of slowing down, with this being the fourth time he has scored a century and taken a five-fer in the same match. He will be back in action against Bangladesh in the second Test, in Kanpur.