What would be Ashwin’s plan on the fourth day?

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Continuing his dream run, India’s ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin today bagged his 26th five-wicket haul in Test cricket on Day 3. Image Source: XtraTime

Internet Desk: India’s ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin today bagged his 26th five-wicket haul in Test cricket on Day 3 of the second Test to surpass his countryman Harbhajan Singh, and now only legendary off-spinner Anil Kumble is ahead of him. After a tiring day on the field, where everyone saw the fight back by the Lankan’s in the second innings, Ashwin spoke about the SSC track and credited Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne for their brilliant batting.

It had a bit of venom in the morning. As the ball got older and we bowled the second time around, it is kind of fizzling out and the edges aren’t carrying to the fielders. We beat the bat a lot. Mendis batted beautifully. He put Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) off his length very quickly. Kept on sweeping him, and he was lucky and got away with it. I think this wicket will get slower and slower. It is not going to be easy work tomorrow for sure. We will have to be really disciplined,”said Ashwin.

Ashwin is hopeful that the second new ball would give India breakthroughs on the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

“I think this wicket will get slower and slower. It is not going to be easy work tomorrow for sure. We will have to be really disciplined. I thought we gave a few runs more than ideally we should have given today. Tomorrow we can probably try and squeeze them out and try and nip a few wickets up early,” said Ashwin at the press conference after the third day’s play.

“Wicket is slowing down at a very quick pace. Edges aren’t carrying. So that means we will have to stick our guns out and try to prise a few wickets out.

“The second new ball, therefore, becomes important. But as I said they got a great partnership but the guys coming in will have to start from scratch. There is going to be an equal challenge on both sides,” he added.

On being asked about his plan to the batsmen, who tries to sweep him in the middle, Ashwin said,”The best option is [to] vary the pace and try and find the top edge (when the batsman sweeps). I did try a lot; I went wider, I went straighter. I didn’t give him (Mendis) a lot of boundaries in terms of the sweep. If a batsman sweeps against me, I don’t really mind it, It gives me a good chance. But having seen him for the first time, probably the next time I will try and come in with a different plan.”