Okay, so Ravichandran Ashwin could not take India to victory in the Mumbai Test against West Indies, and some did question why he didn’t try hard enough for the second run off the final ball. But, he did little wrong in the series otherwise which India won comfortably. Wickets, runs, man of the match, man of the series, everything came Ashwin’s way in what was a fairy tale debut Test series. It was an adventurous month for the Tamil Nadu spinner in more ways than one. First, he got married midway during the series, joining the legendary Sir Donald Bradman, who also did the same. Next, he hit a century and claimed a five-for in the same Test, again joining a league of extraordinary gentlemen in the process – greats like Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar were the only other Indians to achieve the feat. What more could Ashwin have asked for to kick start his Test career?

By: The Pinch Hunter

Ever since The Pinch Hitter was introduced to cricket at the age of nine, he fell in love with the gentleman’s game. While his desire to take up the sport professionally remained unfulfilled, he substituted the bat with the pen. And since 2003, he has been commenting on the sport for various magazines, websites, enjoying every moment of it. With ‘Over the top’ he hopes to continue enlightening and enlivening ‘cricket companions’ the write way.