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Has Ravichandran Ashwin done enough to be termed ‘genuine all-rounder’ in Tests?

Ravichandran Ashwin scored 113, batting for the very first time at No. 6 for India.

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Ravichandran Ashwin scored his third ton in Tests in the first Test against West Indies © AFP
Ravichandran Ashwin scored his third ton in Tests in the first Test against West Indies © AFP

Ravichandran Ashwin walked into bat on Day 1 when India lost a couple of wickets at regular intervals. Going by the trend, India should have perhaps been bowled out for around 350-375, which could have left Virat Kohli stranded at the other end. But that is not what happened. Ashwin started playing second fiddle to Kohli in the beginning of his innings, but as he got his eye in, he started to time the ball sweetly. His defence too was solid and at no stage did the bowlers get the better of him. Yes, he had a lucky break when wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich dropped a sitter, but he surely cashed in on it. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs West Indies 2016, 1st Test at Antigua

He eventually ended up scoring 113 and added some valuable runs with Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra after Kohli was dismissed. This is not the first time Ashwin has made such contributions with the bat though. However, this is the first time he has batted at No. 6. It is definitely a huge step up to someone, who has batted at No. 8 and 9 his entire career. Batting so low down the order, a contribution of 25-30 is generally considered valuable. But batting at 6 is completely different and Ashwin can be proud of his efforts. With Kohli keen on playing five bowlers, Ashwin has certainly given a reason to bat higher than 8 or 9. READ: WI end 1st Test, Day 2 at 31-1 after Kohli, Ashwin put IND in command

India have two other all-rounders in their squad – Stuart Binny and Ravindra Jadeja. It must have been a tough call to drop someone like Jadeja for this match after he had a magical series on his return to Test cricket against South Africa. Binny too could have come in handy, given that there is some assistance to the quick bowlers, looking at the grass cover on the pitch. But India decided to go in with five genuine bowlers. READ: Kohli’s scintillating ton shows mediocre West Indies bowing attack their true worth

Ashwin is there in the team solely because of his bowling abilities. Yes, the runs he scores down the order are handy, but if he fails to fire, nobody blames him. If the experiment of sending him at No. 6 had failed, we would have not been surprised as Ashwin’s primary job is taking wickets when he comes on to bowl. With a batting average of close to 34, its now probably time that we start considering Ashwin as a genuine all-rounder. READ: IND vs WI 2016: Dhawan’s gritty knock deserves more credit

His fighting 30’s and gritty 50’s batting at 8 and 9 have often rescued India from poor state. He scored a fifty in his previous Test innings before this on a tricky Delhi wicket against South Africa, where most batsmen struggled. And, he has the skill, temperament along with the ability to convert his starts into big ones.

We do not know whether Kohli will keep Ashwin at No. 6 in the upcoming matches or not. Regardless, Ashwin’s primary role remains that of a bowler. Should India play an extra batsman in the future games, with Ashwin in the line-up, India’s batting will have further depth.

Pramod Ananth is a reporter at Cricketcountry.com. He is a sport enthusiast and a keen observer of cricket, the contests, and its personalities. When not tracking cricket, he follows the world’s soccer leagues and is somewhat partial towards Liverpool. His Twitter handle is @pramz)

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