India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin produced a stellar all-round performance as the hosts thrashed England by 317 runs in the second Test at Chepauk to level the four-Test series 1-1.

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Ashwin claimed his 29th five-wicket haul in the longest format during England’s first innings while he slammed 106 to help India post 286 in their second essay and extend their lead to a massive 481.  

Bowling in England’s second innings, Ashwin returned with the figures of 3 for 53 and eventually earned the Player-of-the-Match award.

After the victory, Ashwin had a chat with skipper Virat Kohli for bcci.tv, during which he revealed how he worked on his skills during the Coronavirus-induced lockdown.

“Look, I think the whole pandemic thing... During which we shut off and locked ourselves down, I was thinking about what is going to happen. If you take the game away from me, I am literally lost. Even if I am not playing some formats for the country, I am putting the TV on and watching.

“And suddenly, I felt like the game was not here, so I was reflecting on things, trying to understand what I can learn from people and what they perceive of me. That perception really made sure I was playing a game that was completely different to who I was.

“In the past when I have toured abroad, it was more of desperation to prove others wrong. But this time when I went to Australia, it was about proving to myself what I am capable of,” Ashwin told Kohli.

Ashwin came to the crease when India were struggling at 106/6 in their second innings on a turning Chepauk track. However, he played batted with positive intent amid the tough situation.

The off-spinner shared a 96-run stand for the seventh wicket with Kohli. After the Indian skipper got out on 62, he farmed the strike brilliantly to notch up his fifth ton in the traditional format of the game.

During the conversation, Kohli also reflected on the partnership and said, “We had a special partnership in the second innings, the game was tentatively poised, Ash came out and he changed the momentum of the whole game.”

“I hope you keep continuing to be in this happy space that you are. We are loving to have you in this space and seeing you perform on the field in this way. Two more matches to go, hopefully, you continue to do well and keep putting in strong performances and keep doing well for the team,” he added.

The third Test will be played in Ahmedabad from February 24.