R Ashwin watched on from the sidelines as India took a 2-1 lead over England in the Test series last year. His only glimmer of hope at being picked in the India playing XI came in the third Test but the management went with one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja.
Amid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp, the fifth Test was rescheduled and gets underway on 1 July at Edgbaston. As luck would have it, the venue helps spinners which supports Ashwin's credentials to be named in the playing XI.
“I have had my own mental conditioning coach. I have gone through a lot personally, and I tend to forget things very quickly now. So, what’s happened last year in England I have forgotten it; only the good things I try to carry forward," said Ashwin in Mumbai prior to departure.
"I will be so happy and gunning for the team to win 3-1 because I can turn back and say I was in an Indian team which won in Australia, which won in England. Unfortunately we couldn’t win in South Africa, so that’s what I want”
Ashwin had a delayed arrival in England after testing COVID-19 positive. But there were no signs of any illness as the off-spinner bowled well against Leicestershire in the warm-up game.
“I have been taught cricket very differently. You can’t challenge conditions, if the conditions are against you, you have to make the best choices. Somewhere I feel these things go out of the window and personal vendetta does come through and that’s why I have this habit of saying, 'okay forget things and move on',” said Ashwin.
Ashwin had kind words for Cheteshwar Pujara who is back in the fold after a string of tall scores in County Cricket for Sussex.
“Pujara was a thoroughbred Test cricketer always. Sometimes it’s just my thought process, in India, IPL is the biggest stage at this point of time and sometimes… we can tend to get carried away by the stage," said Ash.
"Pujara has remained authentic. With respect to all that, we need to understand that he has done a very thankless job. He walks in at No 3, he doesn’t complain, he keeps grinding it out. I am so glad he went and made runs and earned his place back in the side. At the end of the day, good guys should win, they shouldn’t finish last," he concluded.
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