India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recalled when the Australian opener, Matthew Renshaw during the second Test at Bengaluru in 2017 got angry at him. Ashwin categorically revealed what led to the outburst during an Instagram Live chat session with Cheteshwar Pujara during the coronavirus lockdown.
The incident took place on the second day after the visitor’s bowled out India for 189 runs in the first innings as Nathan Lyon picked up eight wickets. Ashwin recalled how it stopped turning after Lyon’s brilliance on Day 1 as the pitch became damp.
Ashwin said, “I remember one very, very crucial incident in the 1st innings. Nathan Lyon got 8 wickets in the 1st innings. Nathan Lyon was running riot but by the end of the 1st day, it stopped turning. It was damp.”
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The veteran off-spinner also recalled how former India skipper Anil Kumble had suggested him to be patient as the pitch was not offering anything.
Ashwin added, “Anil bhai (Kumble) gave me quite a few suggestions. But I told him that we need to be patient as nothing is happening. Anil bhai said ‘yes, yes. I am not putting pressure on you but you have to do it’.”
The Chennai-born spinner also went on to reveal that Renshaw had a smirk on his face as if to suggest he was comfortable against me and that is what irked me.
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Ashwin explained, “All of a sudden, I got really angry because I was not getting the wickets and I told him ‘you better not defend and make these runs because if you don’t, 4th innings you guys won’t make 100 runs’. I was angry and said it but it eventually panned out.”
India went on to eventually win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 with a crucial win at Dharamsala.