'I had never thought of playing in Test cricket but probably I am gifted enough to play alongside the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid,' Ashwin, who took six wickets in the second West Indian innings, said after the third day's play at Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
'I have never played on such a wicket. There was nothing on the wicket for the batsman as well as the bowlers. I have not seen such a wicket which was so unresponsive to my variations. You have to be patient and work hard, bowl wicket to wicket. Strategically, I increased my speed of delivery a bit and used variations,' he said.
'I got up this morning feeling the same as on the first day. So it wasn't any different. It was just a strategic move to try and increase the air speed a little bit, so that whatever little variation and bounce that the wicket could offer, would pay off. On second day, I bowled closely at (Kraigg) Brathwaite but because I wasn't close to the stumps and not quicker through the air, it didn't work.'
Asked how he felt doing so well after being picked in place of senior off-spinner like Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin said, 'I am being given a responsibility and I think I have done my job. I have to satisfy my conscience.'
He also insisted he was not nervous in his debut game.
'Frankly speaking, I was not feeling the nerves. I was not conscious my hip was moving which way and the like. I had to handle myself and my team-mates supported me well,' he said.
The youngster credited his success to exposure he got by featuring in the Ranji Trophy matches.
'Playing in Ranji Trophy is the best thing for me and others for making it to Test. The format is almost the same and you can used your variations there. I have not played many Ranji matches like 60 or 70 games. But it (Playing in Ranji Trophy) had really helped me,' said Ashwin.
