Ashwin Raises Concerns Over India's Chase on Unusual Wankhede Wicket

Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concerns about India's chase of around 150 runs on a Wankhede wicket that has been behaving differently at both ends. New Zealand ended the second day of the second Test with an overall lead of 143, which former India captain Anil Kumble believes is a challenging target given the nature of the pitch.

Ashwin acknowledged that the track is not a typical Mumbai surface, with low bounce and a slower pace. "Expected a lot more bounce. It has been quite slow which is a surprise. It's not a typical Bombay pitch, much slower," he said.

To counter the unusual conditions, Ashwin employed the carrom ball, a delivery bowled with a flick of two fingers that turns the other way round. This variation proved effective, as it dismissed Glenn Phillips, who failed to read Ashwin's hand.

"The game itself is divided into two halves. The one from the pavilion end and from the other end, it's slightly behaving differently. It's slightly flatter from the one where we are bowling from the dressing room side, the bounce is much lesser. So I thought I will try and use it the other way," Ashwin explained.

Ashwin also showcased his fielding prowess with a brilliant catch running 19 meters sideways to pouch in-form Daryl Mitchell. "For all the flak you've given me overs the years, I don't think I've dropped many. I have got great hands and I trusted it," he said.

Despite the challenging conditions, Ashwin remains confident in India's ability to chase down the target. "Any runs saved in this innings is going to be much more critical. It's not going to be easy, we'll have to bat really well," he said.

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