Indian spinner Ravichander Ashwin was declared the 'Man of the Match' of the second Test between India and England played at M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Ashwin's five wickets in the first innings and the century in the second innings helped India seal a massive victory over England and level the series with 1-1.
Speaking after the match, Ashwin said in Tamil, "Firstly, I've always thought of playing like this in Chepauk, wondered will people ever cheer for me like this. I've played here as a 9-year-old, watched matches with my dad. I have no words, I've played four Tests here, and easily this is the most special."
"I got a hero feeling, every time I bowl there was a different feel. In covid times, a knowledgeable Chennai crowd came in numbers, many came without worry. Even if they didn't wear masks, they clapped and cheered," Ashwin continued.
The homeboy dedicated the match to the crowd at the stadium.
"This match I will dedicate to the Chennai crowd for what they did. Without crowd, we were 1-0 down, with crowd we are 1-all now. Ahmedabad will have crowd, so hopefully we can fully take it on," he opined.
"I can’t express how I feel right now, but I am so very grateful to each and everyone who has wished me over the last few days. I would also like to thank the #KnowledgableChennaiCrowd for turning up in numbers and making me feel like a hero," Ashwin wrote on Twitter.
Dances to 'Vaathi Coming'
Ashwin has been the talk of the town post his brilliant century and among many appreciations, one meme by Delhi Capitals became very popular.
The meme showed Ashwin with a finger over his lips, silencing the opposition and critics alike. It was based on a movie poster of actor Vijay's 'Master'.
On Tuesday, while a song from the movie 'Vaathi Coming' was played in the stadium, Ashwin was seen doing a hook step from the song for a few seconds and the video has gone viral.
On Pitch and batting
Ashwin's overall bowling figures at the end of the match stood at 8 for 96 and it played down the talk surrounding the pitch.
England were bowled out for 164 in pursuit of 482 on Tuesday.
"As much as people were predicting things from the outside, I thought the balls that were doing much wasn't getting wickets. It was the mind of the batsmen that got us wickets," Ashwin said but did not elaborate on his comment on the rival batsmen.
"I have been playing for years over here now and it takes pace and guile to do it. Keeping intent was very important," he said after India's massive 317-run win to level the four-match series 1-1.
Ashwin said he enjoyed his game in front of the home crowd as he is "aware" of the home conditions.
"Every load up gives a different result in terms of which way the pitch is behaving. I try and load up differently, use the breeze, use different angles to release the ball, speed of the run-up. This is working because I have created this awareness for myself.
"This wicket was very different to the one we played on in the first game. This was a red soil wicket, the first one was a clay wicket," said the 34-year-old who is just six short of the 400-wicket milestone.
Talking about his fifth Test ton that came in India's second innings, he said, "It is very important to put the pressure on the bowlers because if you allow them to dictate terms, it is going to get easier."
"I just wanted to take it upon myself, and after I connected the first ball, I knew I got a hang of this wicket. I am someone who tries hard, and when things don't go my way, I try harder."
Ashwin said his batting clicked on the advice of batting coach Vikram Rathour and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.
"Vikram Rathore has been very supportive. My batting was more about hands, to think tactically instead of technically. Ajinkya played a crucial role in telling me that I was overthinking it. That innings in Sydney really set the tone for me."
The four-match Test series against England will next move to Ahmedabad where the remaining two test matches will be played. Currently, the series stands at level 1-1.
(With PTI inputs)