New Delhi: Ravichandran AshwinOne of the sharpest thinkers in world cricket, he feels he has reached a point in his career where he doesn’t care about his performance being assessed after every game.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for a lot of people, the off-spinner feels the last two years have been kind to him with continued success in Tests at home and a productive tour of Australia, where India made history back home. By winning two back series.
The 35-year-old, who has taken 442 wickets in 86 Tests, also made a comeback to the white ball after four years and featured in the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year.
However, he has been rested from the T20 home series against South Africa later this month and will join the team in the UK for the ‘fifth’ Test of the last series against England.
“If you want a realistic answer, I’m not assessing my performance at all. I’m not at that stage of my life where I’m wondering what happened there and what happened here. As I told you, I’m living this day.
“The last two years have been tough for a lot of people but it’s been very kind and good for me. So just enjoying my game. I don’t know if it’s enough on the ground or not. I’m completely in In a very good place of mind,” Ashwin told PTI at the launch of Voot Select’s ‘Bandon Mein Tha Dum’.
Ashwin, who has just completed two months of work IPLNext time will be seen during India’s tour of England in June-July when the rescheduled fifth Test is completed with a 2-1 lead.
The champion spinner, however, is looking forward to spending his much-needed break at home after being out of suitcase for five months.
“Honestly, I’m pretty empty right now. We’ve had a long international season, so I haven’t even thought about it all in my head. I’ve always been in a bubble, only back home after five months. It’s time.” The one I kept. Keep the pause button on and live everyday and take it as soon as it comes.”
With COVID-19 coming to an end, cricket boards across the world are moving towards staging series without mentally taxing the bio bubble. Only Ashwin can be happy with this.
“Absolutely. More than anything else, we need to look at the bigger picture. If we are able to recover from the pandemic and things are going back to normal, then we should all be happy.”
On his way to a historic win in Australia in January 2021, Ashwin contributed with both bat and ball. After suffering a severe back cramp on the fourth day of the Sydney Test, Ashwin made a comeback on the fifth day and batted with Hanuma Vihari as the duo consumed 128 balls to draw what looked like a win.
Ashwin remembered that partnership with great fondness. He was ruled out of the final Test as injury-hit India struggled to field an eleven for the game.
“The second game I got injured was in Southampton (2018) and it didn’t go on the right side of the coin for us. In Sydney, again on day four of the game I had a severe back cramp, I wasn’t sure if I could really get through the game but somehow wanted to.
“I prayed for a little luck, that I have less pain the next morning, that the painkillers work and that’s all, I was praying quietly.
He said, “Somehow I got to the fourth day, took a few wickets, bowled non-stop, although it was tough. It was tough compared to Southampton (2018 England Test) but I think a lot of it was also destiny .
“One of those series where a lot of effort was put in and one cent luck for every single person,” said the eloquent spinner.
After making his Test debut in 2011, Ashwin said it would be difficult to see what the team was able to achieve in Down Under.
“Easily one of the best series I’ve been a part of. Even now, when you talk about it that feeling comes back, all those good memories, all those tough phases we went through, after the win. Excitement, everything has stood tall till now,” he said.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for a lot of people, the off-spinner feels the last two years have been kind to him with continued success in Tests at home and a productive tour of Australia, where India made history back home. By winning two back series.
The 35-year-old, who has taken 442 wickets in 86 Tests, also made a comeback to the white ball after four years and featured in the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year.
However, he has been rested from the T20 home series against South Africa later this month and will join the team in the UK for the ‘fifth’ Test of the last series against England.
“If you want a realistic answer, I’m not assessing my performance at all. I’m not at that stage of my life where I’m wondering what happened there and what happened here. As I told you, I’m living this day.
“The last two years have been tough for a lot of people but it’s been very kind and good for me. So just enjoying my game. I don’t know if it’s enough on the ground or not. I’m completely in In a very good place of mind,” Ashwin told PTI at the launch of Voot Select’s ‘Bandon Mein Tha Dum’.
Ashwin, who has just completed two months of work IPLNext time will be seen during India’s tour of England in June-July when the rescheduled fifth Test is completed with a 2-1 lead.
The champion spinner, however, is looking forward to spending his much-needed break at home after being out of suitcase for five months.
“Honestly, I’m pretty empty right now. We’ve had a long international season, so I haven’t even thought about it all in my head. I’ve always been in a bubble, only back home after five months. It’s time.” The one I kept. Keep the pause button on and live everyday and take it as soon as it comes.”
With COVID-19 coming to an end, cricket boards across the world are moving towards staging series without mentally taxing the bio bubble. Only Ashwin can be happy with this.
“Absolutely. More than anything else, we need to look at the bigger picture. If we are able to recover from the pandemic and things are going back to normal, then we should all be happy.”
On his way to a historic win in Australia in January 2021, Ashwin contributed with both bat and ball. After suffering a severe back cramp on the fourth day of the Sydney Test, Ashwin made a comeback on the fifth day and batted with Hanuma Vihari as the duo consumed 128 balls to draw what looked like a win.
Ashwin remembered that partnership with great fondness. He was ruled out of the final Test as injury-hit India struggled to field an eleven for the game.
“The second game I got injured was in Southampton (2018) and it didn’t go on the right side of the coin for us. In Sydney, again on day four of the game I had a severe back cramp, I wasn’t sure if I could really get through the game but somehow wanted to.
“I prayed for a little luck, that I have less pain the next morning, that the painkillers work and that’s all, I was praying quietly.
He said, “Somehow I got to the fourth day, took a few wickets, bowled non-stop, although it was tough. It was tough compared to Southampton (2018 England Test) but I think a lot of it was also destiny .
“One of those series where a lot of effort was put in and one cent luck for every single person,” said the eloquent spinner.
After making his Test debut in 2011, Ashwin said it would be difficult to see what the team was able to achieve in Down Under.
“Easily one of the best series I’ve been a part of. Even now, when you talk about it that feeling comes back, all those good memories, all those tough phases we went through, after the win. Excitement, everything has stood tall till now,” he said.