"My biggest challenge with R Ashwin was that he came into every series with a different thinking" - Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar has spoken about his biggest challenge while working with R Ashwin during his time as Team India's batting coach.

Ashwin was one of the Indian team's star performers in the recently concluded first Test against Sri Lanka. He first scored 61 runs with the bat and followed it up with six wickets across the visitors' two innings of the Test match.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar was asked about his experience of working with Ashwin during his coaching stint with the Indian team. He responded:

"He continuously thinks about his bowling. Mostly my discussions with him have not been about bowling but about batting. My biggest challenge with R Ashwin was that he came into every series with a different thinking or doing something different and then to get him back to his former self."

Reflecting on Ashwin's bowling during the Mohali Test, the former India all-rounder highlighted that the off-spinner has gone back to his earlier action. Bangar explained:

"If we see the last two years, there was a time in between when he tried to bowl a lot with a front-on action, he had to use his body a lot more that time but here he was bowling absolutely side-on, the loading position was good, the way he started his career."

R Ashwin is known for trying new variations with his bowling. He has often come under criticism from various cricket experts for not relying on his conventional off-spinners and resorting to other deliveries.

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"R Ashwin relied more on his stock delivery" - Sanjay Bangar

R Ashwin came into the Sri Lanka series after underwhelming performances in South Africa

Sanjay Bangar lauded Ashwin for predominantly relying on the off-spinners during the first Test against Sri Lanka. He elaborated:

"He relied more on his stock delivery and took the maximum wickets with that, he didn't use the carrom ball or leg-spin much in this Test match. The more he relies on his conventional stock ball, he becomes all the more dangerous and causes a lot of problems for the batters."

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach concluded by saying that Ashwin will be hard to face if he continues bowling the way he did in the first Test. Bangar observed:

"I feel if he continues bowling like this, it will be very difficult to bat against him and to score runs off his bowling."

R Ashwin became India's second-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game during the Mohali Test against Sri Lanka. He surpassed Kapil Dev's tally of 434 wickets but is still some distance behind Anil Kumble's 619 Test scalps.