Ashwin Aces Off-Field Challenge, Keeps Conversation Shorter Than Rohit

Ravichandran Ashwin, India's Test all-rounder, not only excelled on the field but also off it, after being challenged by skipper Rohit Sharma to keep his conversation with presenter Harsha Bhogle shorter than his.

Ashwin was called up for a chat by Bhogle after being named Player of the Match for his 6-for and hundred in the Chepauk Test. The all-rounder had everyone laughing as he spoke of the challenge Sharma had given him.

Sharma, who had a lengthy conversation with Bhogle during the post-match presentation ceremony, had challenged Ashwin to keep his shorter. The all-rounder cheekily reminded Bhogle of the challenge in an attempt to wrap up the conversation early.

"He updated me saying that we would have a long chat. He is waiting to see how long this will go on for. I am sure he has put the timer on. Now it's shorter than his (chat)," Ashwin said after the match as the TV cameras shifted focus towards Sharma, who burst into laughter upon hearing what the Tamil Nadu-born star had to say.

Ashwin relished playing in front of his home crowd. The 37-year-old went on to score his second consecutive Test ton at Chepauk and 6th overall in the longest format of the game.

Earlier in the presentation ceremony, Sharma had said on Ashwin: "He's next in line to talk to you, he's the right man to answer what he does. Every time we look up to him, he's always there for us whether with the bat or ball. I don't know if I speak here, it'll be enough of what he does for this team. Every time we see him come out and do the job, it's always so brilliant. He's never out of the game. The last competitive cricket he played was IPL and then he had some fun playing TNPL. We watched him bat up the order and that's what helped him as well to bat the way he did."

Ashwin's performance in the Chepauk Test was a testament to his all-round abilities. He has established himself as one of India's most reliable players in the longest format of the game.

Tags: #RavichandranAshwin, #RohitSharma, #TestCricket, #PlayerOfTheMatch, #ChepaukTest