NEW DELHI: Putting aside the disappointment of being dropped from the World Test Championship final, Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday tormented West Indies, claiming his 33rd fifer on the opening day of the Dominica Test.
Ashwin's excellence on a slow track helped India skittle out the hosts for a paltry 150 in the final session on Day 1.
The world no.1 Test bowler also reached landmark of 700 international wickets, becoming the third Indian after Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (711) to achieve the feat.
After the close of play on day one, the wily off-spinner, who also thinks deeply about the game, was asked about his long journey in international cricket and the ups and downs along the way, including the recent exclusion from the WTC final against Australia. The 36-year-old admitted that the constant search for excellence has been "incredibly draining".
"There is no cricketer or human being in this world that has gone through the highs without the lows. When you have the lows, it gives you two choices, either you sulk or talk about it and then complain about it and go along with it and go down. Or you learn from it. So I'm someone who's constantly learnt from my lows.
"In fact the best thing that'll happen today after this good day that I've had is that I'll have a good meal, have a good conversation, talk to my family and go to bed and then forget about it.
"When you've had a good day, you know you've had a good day but there are areas you can work on and get better for tomorrow. This constant search for excellence has held me in good stead all the time, but it's also been incredibly draining.
"It's not a journey that's been very easy. For me, the journey has been draining, but I'm very thankful for all the lows because without the lows there are no highs," said Ashwin in the post day media interaction.
Very tough as a cricketer to be sitting out of WTC final
Considering the overcast conditions at The Oval last month, India made the tough call of leaving out Ashwin from the playing eleven for an extra pacer. The decision was widely debated before India came up short in their second successive WTC final.
Ashwin was naturally disappointed.
"I've spoken about it. It's very tough as a cricketer when you have a shot at the WTC final and end up sitting out. But what is the difference between me and another person if I also end up sulking in the dressing room.
"When we went to the WTC final, I was mentally prepared to play. I had prepared physically and mentally, planned for the game, everything. But, I was also prepared to not play the game.
1/10:1st Test: India on top against West Indies on Day 1
PTI
2/10:Ravichandran Ashwin
<p>Ravichandran Ashwin's five-wicket haul highlighted a dominant day for India who reached 80/0 at stumps after bundling out the West Indies for 150 on Day 1 of 1st Test in Dominica.</p>AP
3/10:Five-wicket haul
<p>Ashwin snared 5-60 off 24.3 overs to leave home captain Kraigg Brathwaite regretting the decision to bat first on winning the toss. </p>AFP
4/10:Alick Athanaze
<p>Ashwin got excellent support from Ravindra Jadeja (3-26) with the only resistance of note coming from debutant batsman Alick Athanaze (47). </p>AFP
5/10:Ashwin
<p>Ashwin was brought into action after just 40 minutes' play with India's opening bowlers appearing frustrated on a pitch offering very little assistance. </p>AP
6/10:Abysmal batting
<p>Ashwin bowled Tagenarine Chanderpaul and then forced Brathwaite into an ugly miscue which effectively set the tone for an abysmal batting effort by the home side. </p>AFP
7/10:Athanaze falls
<p>Athanaze fell just short of the half-century mark, an attempted pull off Ashwin presenting a simple skied catch to Shardul Thakur at mid-on. </p>AP
8/10:Athanaze and Holder
<p>Athanaze added 41 for the sixth wicket with Jason Holder before Mohammed Siraj induced the former captain into a pull for Thakur to take the catch at deep square-leg. </p>AFP
9/10:Shardul Thakur
<p>Shardul Thakur also had his share of success with the ball in the morning, disposing of Raymon Reifer via a low catch to Ishan Kishan. </p>AP
10/10:Opening stand
<p>Yashasvi Jaiswal (40*) then joined Rohit Sharma (30*) in an unbroken opening stand against a varied bowling attack which hardly threatened. </p>AFP"If I'm not playing, how do I respond? How do I make sure the dressing room is really up and about. Winning the WTC final is the most important thing, it could be a very high point in my career and I would have played a good role in it. It was just unfortunate, it didn't pan out. The first day just left us too much behind in the shed.
"All I'd like to give to my teammates and Indian cricket as a whole is some understanding and my best efforts on the field and I'd like to leave it at that," he said.
It is not about wickets or runs, it is about the memories
Ashwin is at the peak of his powers 14 years into international cricket but, looking back, he is amazed how the time has flown by. He is at a stage where making memories is more important than getting wickets for the team.
"It's been literally 14 years on the go and if you include IPL also, it's been almost a 15-16 years journey. It's just gone like that. All I would tell anybody is... the first time I met Rahul Dravid as a coach, he made this statement: 'It's not about how many wickets you take, how many runs you score. You'll forget about all of them. It is only the great memories you create as a team that'll stick with you.'
"I'm totally behind that. I don't know if he's brainwashed me to do that. From my point of view, I definitely think that this journey has gone so fast that I'm not even able to recollect what has happened, and how it has gone through.
"I've got a lot of gratitude and I'm very grateful for the journey and what the game has given to me. I don't know how many more such moments will come to me, but whatever comes my way, I'll try to enjoy it completely."
The COVID-19 pandemic also changed his outlook towards life and the game.
"After Covid when cricket began again, I promised myself that I'll enjoy whatever happens... whether I'm playing, getting dropped or if I'm retiring. Whatever happens, I will enjoy it," he said.
Enjoyed the bounce on offer
Ashwin, who was introduced into the attack as early as the ninth over, made full use of the bounce on offer at Windsor Park. The West Indies batters offered little resistance and Ashwin was too good for them.
"There was some bounce from the wicket, especially from the pavilion end. The wicket had some slope also which gave us bounce. But we utilised the first session very well. The wicket had some moisture and it was coming off it very well.
"As you saw, they showed a graphic that it was turning more (in the second session), but the turn was very slow. But in the first session, there was bounce, and pace off was good, there was bite. We utilised it very well," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
