It's not going to be easy, we will have to bat really well: R Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin said no matter what the target is, Indian batters will have to bat really well in the fourth innings if they want to win the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai. The Blackcaps are currently leading by 143 runs in the second innings and only have one wicket remaining.

“Hopefully, not many; we should wrap it up with one or two runs here and there. Any runs saved in this innings is going to be much more critical for us when we chase it down. It's not going to be easy, we'll have to bat really well,” said Ashwin, who claimed three wickets on day two after going wicketless in the first innings. 

“I expected a lot more bounce and speed from this Mumbai pitch, it has been quite slow which is a surprise for me. It's not a typical Bombay pitch, but much slower than usual.”

Ashwin also spoke about using the carom ball against Glenn Phillips. The right-handed batter smoked him for two maximums in the space of three deliveries but Ashwin responded with a carom ball that completely squared up Phillips and dismantled the stumps.

“The game itself is divided into two halves. The one from the pavilion end and from the other end, it’s slightly behaving differently. It’s slightly flatter from the one where we are bowling from the dressing room side, the bounce is much lesser. So, I thought I would try and use it the other way. 

“The [NZ] batters are also knowing that it’s easier to take me on from this side. So I wanted to give something different,” he explained.

Lastly, Ashwin also pulled off a stunning catch on day two, helping India dismiss Daryl Mitchell. The batter tried hitting Ravindra Jadeja over mid-on but didn’t get the right connection. The ball went miles in the air and Ashwin, who is not known for his fielding, ran 19 meters and took the catch with both hands in front.

Talking about the catch, Ashwin said: “I was just telling myself that it’s going to anyway leave me. I wanted to get as close to the ball as possible, and I’ve got great hands, so I trusted my hands to go through with it.”

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