R Ashwin is Man of the Match in India Vs Sri Lanka - ODI 2, Perth (Feb 8) : CB Series 2012

R Ashwin who has struggled to create any impression with the ball on this Australian tour finally came good to help India pull off a 4-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the Second Match of the Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series at Perth. Ashwin not just bowled well but also batted superbly to put up an unbroken match-winning stand of 50+ with Ravindra Jadeja to bail out India from a losing position!

The 25-year-old R Ashwin bowled mostly from round the sticks to the right handers. He was looking to toss the ball up and slow it down in the air. For once, he was getting hold of his loop as well and it wasn’t going to be easy hitting him out of the park as the boundaries were pretty big at the WACA ground. Ashwin playing only his 27th ODI grabbed three wickets while conceding only 32 runs in his 10 overs. He also bowled a maiden over which is equal to taking half-a-wicket in ODIs these days!

Ashwin took three crucial wickets that of Skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Thisara Perera and Dinesh Chandimal. The tall off spinner got good amount of turn and bounce from the WACA pitch to get the better of the Sri Lankan batsmen. He followed up his bowling performance with a calm knock of 30 not out from 38 balls with 3 fours at a time when India was in the danger of losing the match at 181 for 6 with still 53 more runs to win! For his all-round show, R Ashwin picked up the Man of the Match award.

Well let’s recall some of the highlights of R Ashwin’s performance with both the ball and the bat as recorded by Cricwaves.com :

R Ashwin’s bowling highlights :

Over 35.5 R Ashwin to DPMD Jayawardene, CAUGHT, this is well tossed up around leg and Mahela goes through with a slog sweep but only to get caught low by Rohit at deep backward squareleg! It must be the extra bounce which might have produced a bit of top edge!

Over 39.4 R Ashwin to NLTC Perera, STUMPED OUT, Perera comes down the track for a big inside out shot but is beaten by lots of turn and bounce and MSD is quick to affect a stumping! And Perera's backleg was just on the line which isn't good enough.

Over 43.2 R Ashwin to LD Chandimal, STUMPED OUT, big wicket for India, Chandimal comes down the track and plays all around a full toss in a flick shot, and it was also a carrom ball which deviated away big time after pitching around leg and going past off! Its an easy stumping for MSD with Chandimal a long way out of his crease!

R Ashwin’s batting highlights :

Over 44.6 SL Malinga to R Ashwin, Boundary, gets forward and drives the pitched up delivery elegantly through extra covers and gets a boundary for his sweet timing.

Over 45.6 KTGD Prasad to R Ashwin, Boundary, goes back and pulls the rising delivery flat through wide mid wicket for a boundary.

Over 46.3 AD Mathews to R Ashwin, Boundary, walks down the track and pulls the rising delivery confidently in the air over wide mid on for a boundary! That brings up the 50 of this partnership!

Over 46.4 AD Mathews to R Ashwin, 1 run, walks down the track and goes through with a lofted shot, but it flies right off the bottom towards mid off where Malinga doesn't go for the catch and looks to the fielder at extra covers! The ball lands in between the two fielders and Ashwin picks up the winning the single. India defeat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets with 20 balls to spare.