Review of R. Ashwin and Sidharth Monga’s I Have the Streets: A cricketer’s thank you note to Chennai

Review of R. Ashwin and Sidharth Monga’s I Have the Streets

An Indian spinner always steps in weighed under gargantuan expectations. It comes with a rich legacy as twirly men have always spun webs. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh had to deal with the shadow of the famous quartet headlined by the late Bishan Singh Bedi, and ironically the duo inadvertently flipped pressure onto their successors.

It is to R. Ashwin’s credit that he withstood the strain and with 516 Test wickets is second to Kumble (619) among Indians and is currently placed ninth in the overall tally led by Muttiah Muralitharan (800). The man from Chennai surely has a story to tell.

It is an endeavour in which Ashwin finds an ally in Sidharth Monga, ESPN Cricinfo’s cricket correspondent, and their joint effort is I Have the Streets. The book chronicles Ashwin’s transition from gully cricket and his quest to constantly improve. The spinner bares his heart to Monga, who transcribes copious voice notes and gives it shape.

From being a batter to becoming one of the finest off-spinners, Ashwin throws light on the way he challenged himself. He asked his coaches for inputs, sought opinions from batters at nets and he always had questions. Equally self-aware, he writes: “In my case, acceptance will come only with performance because, aesthetically, nothing stands out about me when I bowl in the nets. No one watches me bowl and goes, ‘Wow’.”

There are also passages delving into his fielding and his obsession to be known as a good athlete with safe hands. Ashwin is also candid about his early days of romancing Prithi. Essentially, this book, which is also a thank you note to Chennai, reflects his love for Tamil, and there are lovely descriptions about his street-cricket friends.

Maybe since gratitude is so obvious, the usual formal acknowledgement note goes missing in this tome. Perhaps, there could be a sequel, as the book winds to a close after India’s triumph in the 2011 World Cup. Ashwin made his Test debut after this epochal event and he and Monga may traverse the remaining distance over the coming years.

I Have the Streets; R. Ashwin and Sidharth Monga, Penguin Random House, ₹599.