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‘I Have Made Peace’: Ravichandran Ashwin Speaks About Not Getting Enough Chances Ahead of 100th Test at Dharamshala
Ravichandran Ashwin and Anil Kumble speak about the 100th Test match milestone, to be achieved by the former in Dharamshala on Thursday.
Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is poised to reach a significant milestone in his career as he gears up for his 100th Test match. The historic occasion will take place in Dharamshala on Thursday when India faces England in the final game of the five-match series. By playing in this match, Ashwin will join an elite group of Indian spinners, becoming only the third after Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble to achieve this remarkable feat.
Anil Kumble believes Ashwin should have achieved the feat earlier
However, the veteran Indian spinner Anil Kumble believes that Ashwin should have reached this milestone much earlier, had he not been sitting on the sidelines when India traveled overseas.
Speaking about the same with Ashwin on a show at Jio Cinema, Kumble asked him, “I absolutely believe your 100th Test match should have come much earlier. That’s how I feel because every time India go out and play in England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, you have not played enough. The batters are the same, they tend to adapt to any condition but as a leading bowler, they sort of doubt your credentials of adapting to any condition. So how does that feel?”
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Ashwin’s disappointment on not getting enough chances
Ashwin responded with candor, expressing the deep disappointment he felt in the past when he was not given adequate opportunities to prove his worth, while others were granted more chances. “I don't want to sound controversial. I can compare this to a lot of other things that are happening in the world right now. But I genuinely do feel that bowlers play second-fiddle to the batters. That's because probably, batters just get that one chance. I mean you are knocked out; you are out,” Ashwin said.
"This used to play on my mind constantly: Why is it that I get one game to fail and why is it that somebody else gets more games to fail? Eventually, I have made peace with the fact that the team needs to win. Even when I am not playing and the team wins after five days, I am the most delighted person in the dressing room. When I was young, all I wanted to do was wear the India jersey for one day.”
“Just because of who I am today, I cannot put my selfish interest ahead of the team. Yes, there have been disappointing days, but I have learnt how to deal with it, and I am extremely happy that I played alongside some of the great cricketers that India has ever produced,” he added, explaining how he has made peace with the fact.
Ashwin is only the second Indian batter to have scalped more than 500 Test wickets, with Kumble being the first one to achieve the feat.
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