Ravichandran Ashwin, India find outside edge

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And within three deliveries, he had knocked out the champion, with two jabs and a poke. The poke in this case being orchestrated by the vanquished himself to a looping off-break that pitched on a length and turned swiftly, the resulting catch being snapped up by an alert KL Rahul at short-leg.
Having ruined the Sanga party prematurely, Ashwin would only keep adding to the hosts’ woes and anguish throughout Wednesday by systematically knocking out almost every Sri Lankan batsman that faced up to him. Before long he had scythed through them, and finished with figures of 6/46, providing a spin-bowling master-class. By dismantling the Lankans for 183 within two sessions, the off-spinner had also provided India with one of the best starts ever on an overseas tour.

The dream start did, however, threaten to turn into a recurring nightmare, when KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma fell to the new-ball. That is before skipper Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan calmed the nerves with a composed and unbeaten 100-run partnership to ensure that the visitors had well and truly laid siege on the Sri Lankan team’s Galle fortress on the opening day—their score reading 128/2.

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They had also made sure that it solely remained Ashwin’s day of glory, and in some ways redemption too. And deservedly so.

Away high

Sri Lanka has after all been a breeding ground of misery for Indian spinners historically. They collectively have two five-wicket hauls to show for it in 18 Tests, and have borne the brunt of the home team batsmen repeatedly on tours across the Palk Strait. And in his first Test, Ashwin came the closest to righting the wrongs that have been dished out on those of his ilk in this otherwise serene island. He also finished with the best figures for any Indian bowler in Sri Lanka.

They say to succeed in Sri Lanka, patience and resilience need to be your main virtues as a spinner. Attributes that the Ashwin of old wasn’t always renowned for. But there has been a new Ashwin on the rise since the start of 2015. One that thrives on rhythm, well-constructed strategy and precision. One that doesn’t succumb to frivolous temptations of seeking the ‘magic delivery’ when wickets aren’t coming his way.

It would be too simplistic to credit Ashwin’s success over the last few months—wickets aplenty in the World Cup and a five-wicket haul in his last Test at Fatullah—to him bowling slow in the air, like many have. There’s much more to it of course. Rather than forever trying to push the envelope, Ashwin’s strategy is now consumed by setting batsmen up in spells, rather than with a single shot at glory. It’s about finding his area of attack on the wicket, and then biding his time.

If earlier, he was like a race-car driver whose plan was perennially based on putting pedal to metal and forcing his way past his opponents, it’s now shifted to measuring them up, sizing up their strategy and then overtaking them without much hassle. Earlier, there was only intent for the madness. Now there’s a well-thought-out method to it.

New, improved

And that’s pretty much how he left the Lankans in their wake in Galle. There were a couple of spots on a length while bowling from the Pavilion End that had caught his eye, and he rarely missed hitting them. He stuck to around the wicket to the left-handers, especially after he had scalped Sangakkara in that fashion. Lahiru Thirimanne was next, caught at slip by another off-break that spun briskly off the surface and caught his outside-edge. Jehan Mubarak then fell to a slightly straighter delivery with some top-spin that bounced on him, and had him caught at short-leg. By the lunch-break, Ashwin already had 3/15.

Surprisingly, he was brought on from the Fort End, before Ashwin got his chance to continue his mastery over the Lankans. By that time, Angelo Mathews had counterattacked his way to a fine 64. Back over the wicket, Ashwin found the rough spot that had earlier put Mathews in some strife.
This time, the Lankan skipper jumped out of his crease, like had had earlier in the day and hit a boundary. But Ashwin had foxed him in the flight, and Rohit Sharma held on to the catch on the second attempt, as the ball flew off the right-hander’s inside edge. With the effect he had on the top-order, the tail stood little chance of stemming the tide. And Dhammika Prasad and Rangana Herath—who batted like he had seen a lengthy highlight reel of Andy Flower against the Indian spinners, so often did attempt his sweeps—stood no chance. And Ashwin nonchalantly knocked them by the side.

By now not only was the ball coming out exactly as he wanted it to, Ashwin also looked a lot more relaxed in his action, gone were the incessant theatrics that were once a feature of his bowling stride.

“When I went in 2011 to Australia, I was that youngster who wanted to get five wickets on the first day of the Melbourne Test. That was the mistake i did. But I aspired to be one and i would rather err in an aggressive side. I wanted to go back to Australia with a set plan, be ready and consistent, and use my pace, vary it, be a little quicker,” he would explain later when asked about the changes that he had made since the tour Down Under.

It was in Australia that he had commenced his resurrection, that took shape during the World Cup even though his performances were overshadowed by those of the seamers. But on Wednesday, he not only spoiled a much-anticipated farewell party for the headliner of the day, he also proved that he was the headliner in the Indian bowling attack.