Comparisons can be skewed, I like doing it my way: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin is forever rey to learn from his peers but has his own way of finding formula for success as he believes that re are "many ways to skin a cat".

Ashwin's fine figures of 4 for 55, including big wicket of Steve Smith, helped India gain a foothold on second day of opening Test here, but he didn't want to sit back and "rate" this as his best overseas performance.

So does he take pointers from Nathan Lyon's bowling when he bowls in Australia or from Moeen Ali when he is playing in England?

"Sometimes comparisons and way we look at things are very skewed. Do we ask batsmen to go and watch Steve Smith bat and replicate that all time when we tour Australia? body does that to Alastair Cook or Joe Root," eloquent off-spinner counter-questioned.

"I think we are all aware that everybody skins cat differently. Obviously, you can learn. re is stopp or anything. You can always learn from people as to how y go about ir business," he said on Friday.

Ashwin said that one needs to factor in that when a spinner plays abro, re are two jobs -- containment and taking wickets.

"I have always maintained especially when you play abro, passs of play needs to go your way because you are doing a twin job, and doing it against conditions.

"As far as I am concerned, I see if I can learn and put in earnest effort is all that I can do. How people perceive it is for m to do," said man kwn for his plain speaking.

Ashwin, who is India's fourth highest wicket-taker, also didn't forget to mention that contrary to popular belief, he has always h good performances abro.

"If you look at last two years, if people don't reflect upon a couple of t so great situations or matches, I have pretty much h decent outings every time I have gone on to play abro in last 18 months." 34 year-old w kws how to put perceptions in back-burner and enjoy game.

"Things can be blown out of context and I have put those things in shelf in backyard. I really want to enjoy my tre and want to have all fun I possibly can. For me, I don't want to sit back and think wher it's my best performance or t as re is still an innings to go and looking forward to entire Test series," he said. Playing his first Test after nearly 10 months, Ashwin felt as if he was making his debut all over again.

"First things first, I am so happy we are playing Test cricket again. Me being Extremely m about sport, it was refreshing to go out re in Pink Ball Test. Just felt amazing. I felt like I was making my debut all over again. I want to play cricket from inside and somehow might have t h joy of going out re in middle for a while. It's quite natural, it happens to people over a period of time. For me to bring about that joy I thought it's t greatest of times but my reflection sitting around during lockdown... watching cricket and I was able to bring that joy back, which I thought I h lost for brief amount of time." 

(Photo Credit: Twitter/ICC)