R Ashwin is unmatched in his dedication to the game of cricket. The 36-year-old boarded the first flight out of London the day after India lost the World Test Championship final in order to join Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League in Coimbatore. He even left his family behind. The off-spinner, who has 474 Test wickets, took a break from fighting jet lag to engage in a lengthy talk at a local hotel while enjoying his favourite black coffee and some idlies.
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Here is what Ashwin has said about all this in a recent interview:
Since 2018–19, I have had great success bowling internationally and have been able to help the team win games. I’m speaking in retrospect, in their defence, and viewing it from the perspective of a captain or coach. They would have felt that 4 pacers and 1 spinner is the combination in England because the previous time we were there, a Test ended in a draw and the score was 2-2. They might have believed that before the final. The issue is that it must be the fourth inning for a spinner to be used.
For us to be able to score so many runs in the fourth inning, allowing the spinner to enter the game, is entirely a mentality issue.
It’s not a setback for me. I’ll continue because I’ve already overcome that stumbling hurdle. You react instinctively when someone knocks you down for the first time. To become accustomed to it and learn how to get back up again, I believe you need experience being knocked down occasionally during your life. Life is just like that. It is a setback whether you are at the top of your game or not. The fact that you have to figure out how to handle it is
It is a setback whether you are at the top of your game or not. The fact that you must learn how to handle it is crucial. I’m 36 years old, and I can honestly say that what makes you happy changes over time. Yes, every time I receive a text message from a former senior cricket player, I feel delighted and reply right away. That’s a result of how I remember them from when I was little. I was delighted that they thought I was capable of playing. However, the truth is that I was unable to secure a chance or the world championship. 48 hours prior, I was aware that I would be forgotten.
Ashwin has always been one of those finer players of the Indian Cricket Team, he is simply not being given plenty of chances to perform in matches. Ashwin needs to be more involved in team India’s fixtures in order to get his form back.
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