"R Ashwin wants to find an answer for everything" - Irfan Pathan on the off-spinner setting up the Sri Lankan batters

Irfan Pathan reckons R Ashwin does not like to take the easy route to pick up wickets and instead wants to challenge himself under all circumstances.

Ashwin snared four wickets in Sri Lanka's second innings of the recently concluded pink-ball Test. His dismissal of Kusal Mendis triggered a Sri Lankan batting collapse after the right-hander had stitched together a 97-run partnership with Dimuth Karunaratne.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan was asked about R Ashwin enjoying picking up wickets by setting up the batters. He responded:

"He loves the challenge as well. The more formidable a player, he likes a challenge even more. The way Ashwin's mind works, I feel if he gets an easy thing, he will want to make it more difficult because he wants to find an answer for everything."

The former India all-rounder added that Ashwin would have enjoyed bowling on the final day when the Sri Lankan batters put up a fight. Pathan observed:

"I feel if Sri Lanka batted well at any time throughout the entire series, it was on the last day of the tour. So he got wickets with difficulties but Ravichandran Ashwin would definitely have got satisfaction from that."

Ashwin even revealed how he had planned Mendis' dismissal. The wily spinner pointed out that the stylish batter was covering the line well from over the wicket and he therefore opted to get the better of him with the round-the-wicket angle.

---

"100 percent" - Aakash Chopra on R Ashwin being at the top of his game

R Ashwin had Dhananjaya de Silva caught at forward short leg [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra was asked about R Ashwin being at the top of his game in the recent past, including the Bengaluru Test. He replied:

"100 percent, it was still a little challenging here because Dimuth Karunaratne stood there for a long time. Kusal Mendis also attacked a little at the start but there were a lot of aspects, his experience and skills, plus if you bowl even a straight ball on this pitch, you get a wicket."

The former India opener concluded by stating that Ashwin's wicket tally is ample proof of his class. Chopra elaborated:

"We saw more wickets falling of straighter deliveries and less on turning balls, he got a wicket with the carrom ball in the first innings. The class is there, you don't get 440 wickets just like that, you need to have a lot of skillsets and he executes them brilliantly."

R Ashwin became India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket during the first match in Mohali. However, the 35-year-old might not be too happy with his performance in South Africa and will hope to give a better account of himself in the remaining Test against England, if picked in the playing XI.