My numbers in SENA has significantly improved since 2014, states Ravichandran Ashwin

Despite boasting an impeccable record in Asia - 297 wickets in 50 Tests at 22.98 - Ravichandran Ashwin’s wondrous, highly successful career remains dented, till date, by his numbers outside of the sub-continent. The off-spinner has often been at the receiving end of some slack for failing to win Tests for India away from home and his underwhelming record, too, - averaging over 40 in Australia and South Africa and over 32 in England and New Zealand - has played a part in the same. 

A combination of this and his fitness has seen the Tamil Nadu man be leapfrogged by Ravindra Jadeja as the team’s number one spinner away from home, with the left-arm spinner playing a majority of the away Tests in the past 18 months as a lone spinner.

However, Ashwin revealed that he’s learned quite a few lessons through his harsh experiences away from home and stated that his record in SENA nations has significantly improved since 2014. The offie also added that outside of the sub-continent, spinners, at times, need the luck to succeed. 

"Increasingly, (with) the number of games I've played in England, I've started realising that for a spinner to be bowling in alien conditions and to be able to repeat similar numbers as at home, you need to be bowling in all the possible right times of the game, first," Ashwin told ESPN Cricinfo, reported TOI.

"And, secondly, you do need a little bit of luck. After 2014 (December 2013), when I had that South Africa game, I've taken a very serious look at my numbers and those numbers have significantly increased very, very well.”

A con that comes with possessing an immaculate record is keeping the high standards up for a sustained period of time and Ashwin admitted that he has been fighting the benchmark he has set. The 33-year-old stated that expectations from him are often high due to the sheer amount of games he’s won for both club and country, but added that he embraces the challenge.

"See, one thing is for sure. I'm actually fighting my own benchmarks in a lot of ways. The number of games that I've managed to win for my country and for myself, the number of successes I've had and the excellence I've shown is always measured up in equal parlance when I travel away from the country, which is great.”