"Don't think MS knew that I could bat as well as I did" - Ravichandran Ashwin recalls initial days of his career

Veteran Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that people hardly knew about his batting abilities in the initial part of his career. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer disclosed that the-then captain MS Dhoni was hugely impressed after witnessing his maiden Test hundred.

While Ashwin is arguably one of the most incisive spin bowlers, he is an equally capable batter. The 37-year-old has accumulated 3,309 runs in 99 Tests along with five centuries, three of which have come in India with a best score of 124.

Speaking to ESPN's Cricket Monthly, Ashwin said that hitting the ball didn't come naturally, but he managed to reach triple figures in only his third Test.

Ashwin recounted:

"I don't think MS knew that I could bat as well as I did. Because in the IPL you don't see that much of batting. I was a very ordinary No. 9, No. 8. I was still coping with the speed changes. Hitting the ball didn't come naturally to me. He didn't know that, but after I got my first hundred [in his third Test], he said, 'I didn't know that you batted so well.'"

The veteran's maiden century came against the West Indies in 2011 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He made 103 off 118 deliveries in the first innings along with taking nine scalps as the match resulted in a draw.

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Ravichandran Ashwin recalls his struggles ahead of the 2013 series against Australia

Ravichandran Ashwin. (Image Credits: Getty)

Ashwin went on to recall his struggles to keep his spot ahead of the home series against Australia in early 2013, especially with Parvez Rasool and Harbhajan Singh competing for spots.

He said:

"When I went to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to take match tickets for my family, somebody said, 'You are going to be dropped.' I remember Parvez Rasool had taken wickets in the side game. Harbhajan Singh was coming back."

The champion off-spinner reckons that his ability to keep shifting the pressure on the opposition on the field has brought enormous success for him. On this, he said:

"I made it external. For me, there have been a lot of internal battles, but externally I have managed to put pressure on oppositions, to take away the pressure that I feel internally. When I say internally, I feel like I'm alone in this race, and I'm alone in this game."