Super Straight Drive with Ravichandran Ashwin 2.0

There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than watching a sprinter running on a track. the smooth and easy steps, the slow and gradual start and finally that burst of speed. I have been a silent spectator as Ashwin has been gradually upping the ante on the fitness front, all in earnest preparedness for the forthcoming Champions Trophy to be conducted in England. Even as I watched him take those sprints it was all awe inspiring for me. We as fans see him play and take those wickets but hardly know the kind of hard work and effort that goes behind all of it. It also gave me an opportunity to be up front and close with Ravichandran Ashwin.

In last Friday's column of Straight Drive with Ashwin we spoke about his initial childhood days and how he developed a love for the game of Cricket. A time does come when children lose that flab, that chubbiness and the voice gets a makeover. Priorities, likes and dislikes change. A love-able maturity creeps in and in most of the cases new friends become a part of life. In this edition of Straight Drive

we shall talk about Ashwin's tryst with teenage and his circle of close friends.

Hunger for Cricket Just Grew on Ashwin:

As the years rolled by, Ashwin started to like the game even more than anything else. In one of the U17 tournaments in Vizag, Ashwin scored a century and the day came to a close. Well this story has two endings and we would like you to take up either one version of the story. Two people have narrated their versions to me, one is a version that Ashwin tells me and the other is a version that Arvind aka takali tells me. Ra Arvind also happens to be Ashwins childhood friend and a coach at Gen-next Cricket Institute.

Ashwins Version: Ashwin says that he completed a century, came back to the room, was very tired, however had a shower,changed his clothes and went to sleep. Anirudh Srikkanth happened to be his room mate. Ashwin says that he went on to compile a double century in this match.

Takkalis Version: Ashwin completed a century, came back to room, was very tired, hit the bed in the same pair of clothes, next day travelled to ground in the same whites and went on to complete a well compiled double century.

 Leave it to the audience at this point of time to pick up their own version and why they think so. One must however appreciate the passion for the game which is so very inspiring for kids of that age into a sport like Cricket.

The Four Musketeers

They were a group of four friends, travelling for tournaments together, involving themselves in pranks and most of all having a very normal childhood. Ashwin,Santosh,Arvind,and Kedar made up for a very formidable and strong circle of friends. Ashwin says that for most of the tournaments this group travelled together, either at the school or the college level. Once the team travelled for a tournament in Dharamshala, while the coach was quite excited with the serene atmosphere, he was quite sure that they would win the tournament. However the team ended losing the matches and travelled by road to different venues across the country. While the kids won, they were quite pampered for choice and when they lost they were made to sweat and toil. Valid lessons learnt at a very tender age, the carrot and stick policy worked well for the team, they won several tournaments together, losing only a few along the way.

Ashwin says that while all the kids were active in their naughty, active, fun and frolic ways, there was one in the group who was the most goody, goody and sober. that was Kedar. Kedar used to be an adventurous type. When they would check into a town or city for a tournament it would be Kedar to find out all about the place. He was also very fond of shopping so he would know what would be available in which place including some great food. Homework done, Kedar would inform the other four and they would be out exploring the city. Kedar was the Mr Nice of the group, never indulging in any kind of mischief. Thus he was nicknamed as the Jesus Christ of the group. Ashwin recalls them waiting on Kedar , one of the nights in the hotel room with lit candles on either side, just to welcome their Godly

friend.

In one of the state games, they had tied the match, Kedar was overcome with joy and started sprinting to the pavilion in joy to meet the coach. In his exuberance he had apparently forgotten that he had worn spikes. He ran on the concrete, full speed ahead with spikes on to the concrete, only to come crashing down, in the midst of the arranged chairs kept neatly under a Shamiana. All the friends had a hearty laugh together.

Ashwin and his University Days

Ashwin, Sanch, Venkat and Thakkali would travel together in their times during graduation. Ashwin says of the lot, Venkat was the smartest clocking over 85% each time in examinations. Sanch was good at numbers and Thaks was the weakest link amongst the four. While all of them would sincerely attempt to study for the exams burning the midnight oil in most cases, it was sanch who would want to sleep that wee bit extra, even on exam mornings. On a aside Ashwin adds that Sanch would be the one to set up the alarm clock, each time woken up, he would be the one to want to have that luxury of extra five minutes of sleep.  it happened that one of those days it happened to Mathematics time. They all prepared for the exam. Ashwin owned a Santro those days, while he picked up his friends for the examination.

All of them finished the exams much ahead of the stipulated time except for Arvind. They were quite taken aback that Arvind was taking so much time. There was more in store. While discussing the tough question paper it was Arvind who came up with all the correct answers. The fun does not stop here. On the day of the results, Sanch called up Ashwin "Machi marks aa paatiya da"(Did you see the Marks?). Ashwin replied saying that he had cleared the paper. Sanch stressed again"Adhu illai da Thakaali Maths marks paatiya da?" (Did you see Thakaalis Maths marks?) The Three had crossed the requisite line while Arvind was left behind. It was even quite puzzling for tallboyk, who then ventured to interrogate further. "Ashwin how did this happen?Arvind got all the answers right, thats what you just said." Ashwin with that tangy mischevous, quirky look on his face said " Oh Thaks finished the exam much earlier, went back to his place of dwelling, had a mid afternoon siesta, consulted Mr. Mcgraw Hill for all the right answers and had come collars up to discuss the answers with his friends.

Ashwin feels that Arvind,Sanch,and Kedar were as equally talented as him in modern cricket, despite this it was only he who donned the India colors. He laments this fact as he says with the other musketeers around the India dressing room would have gotten even more lively.

For me it was a pleasure bring to you all this column of Straight Drive. It was fun for Ashwin recalling his own childhood days, for a boy who dreamt making it big in Indian Cricket Team, who morphed himself into a young man, who the rest of the world knows as Ravichandran Ashwin. There will be more such columns in the near future. Keep reading and leaving your valuable feedback as that would encourage us to keep writing to you.