IPL: Ravichandran Ashwin calls 3 balls to Gayle in 2011 final 'his best 3-ball set ever'

On an Instagram Live with Delhi Capitals, Indian cricket team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin turned the clock back to the 2011 IPL final and one of his finest spells in the 12-year history of the tournament. Defending a more than decent 205, Ravichandran Ashwin knocked over an in-form Chris Gayle on his way to an impressive 3-16 as the Chennai Super Kings restricted Royal Challengers Bangalore to 147/8.

Comparing it to a similar sequence of events in an earlier game where he got Jesse Ryder out after getting hit for a six, Ravichandran Ashwin called the three balls he bowled to Gayle in the 2011 final one the finest 3-ball sets that he has ever bowled.

“I remember a similar ball to Jesse Ryder in the same IPL where Jesse stepped out and hit me for a six. The common mistake a lot of batsmen make is that they try and think that a lot of bowlers don’t think and they react to deliveries but I don’t do that,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.

If you hit me for a six, I try and stay as attacking as possible, and I knocked over Jesse Ryder with an arm ball the very next ball. Likewise, I imagined something for Chris and it worked. I couldn’t believe it myself. One of the finest three-ball sets that I have bowled in my career,” Ravichandran Ashwin added.

Ravichandran Ashwin believes him getting Gayle out earlier added to the build-up

It wasn’t the first time that the then-CSK off-spinner had gotten the better of Chris Gayle in the tournament either. In an earlier match, Ravichandran Ashwin had gotten the West Indian out LBW, but the Delhi Capitals spinner reckons that could be put down to an umpiring error.

“Previously when we played RCB in the qualifier, I got Chris out again. He was out LBW. I think it may have been the umpire’s fault, Simon Taufel, I reckon. But he hit me for a six in that game and then got out. Basically, everybody was tipping this off as the off-spinner versus Chris, that’s the best match up. And Ashwin is really bowling well and in good rhythm and all that, this whole build up of the contest,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.

The spell is still considered among the former Kings XI Punjab captain’s best spells in the IPL. Ravichandran Ashwin’s 3-16 ensured that the CSK bowlers finished off the job that the batsmen started by putting up a strong 205 in their 20 overs.