Former India player Pragyan Ojha said that Ravichandran Ashwin getting an early wicket made him a different bowler in England’s second innings of the second Test as well. However, Ashwin went wicketless and gave away 61 runs in 12 overs in England’s first-innings total of 253. But he registered figures of 3/72 in 18 overs in the second innings as India bundled the visitors out for 292 to complete a 106-run win to level the five-match series as well.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Ojha said: “He was bowling in the same areas. He just changed his pace. His ball dips when he reduces his pace slightly. That is extremely important. I have been repeatedly saying that the key for Ashwin is that if he gets an early wicket, he doesn’t rush.””If a bowler doesn’t rush and takes his time and carries so much experience with him, he becomes extremely lethal. If you have to counter-attack such bowlers, you don’t give them wickets, you don’t attack them,” the former India spinner added.

However, R Ashwin had Ben Duckett brilliantly caught by Srikar Bharat in his first over in England’s second innings. He later removed Ollie Pope and Joe Root to complete his three-wicket haul. Pragyan Ojha also added that bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin get settled into a rhythm once they strike an early blow as well.

“If such bowlers get wickets, they are settled. They know they have got what they need in the last column and can carry their game plan forward at ease, and that they don’t have to go at 5G speed. As soon as he got a wicket, he was at ease. If you had seen his body language closely in the first innings, it was like nothing was happening, and that what should he do to make an impact on the game,” Pragyan Ojha concluded.