India was put in strict quarantine in Brisbane after outbreak of UK COVID-19 strain in Queensland.
India registered a historic win at the Gabba during their tour of Australia in 2020-21, helping them secure the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 four-Test series by a margin of 2-1. It wasn't an easy victory for the team as they were playing without their first-choice eleven due to injuries to the players.
But even before the battle on the field, the players had to deal with a strict quarantine in Brisbane. At one time, the last Test match of the series was uncertain after Team India expressed reluctance to travel to Brisbane due to the quarantine.
India's off-spinner R Ashwin revealed his wife Prithi had an emotional breakdown ahead of the fourth Test in the team hotel due to the quarantine rules.
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Speaking on Boria Majumdar's show Backstage with Boria, Ashwin said: "So we were not supposed to be locked up in a room. My wife very well knows how difficult it is to travel. She has done this on and off for 10 years.
At Brisbane, when we landed, they put us in a hotel room and they said, ‘you can’t go’. Ten minutes later, I started to hear some crying noises. It was not from my children. I went and saw that she (my wife) was crying. She had a massive burst out of emotions.”
While Ashwin was allowed to go out for practice, Prithi had to stay inside the room. “She said, ‘I don’t know what is happening but she can’t take these hotel rooms anymore. You are getting fresh air but I have to been in this room. It just feels too inhuman. I came out for the love that I have for you. But I can’t do this anymore," he added.
The 35-year-old further called for empathy for cricketers as they have to put aside a lot of personal things for cricket. Ashwin added how he missed the festivals with family, and also couldn't stay with his parents when they got infected with COVID-19.
"There is no doubt cricketers are earning, making money. But you also need to understand that this is a career that is short-lived. People make sacrifices. I have given up on so many normal things.
"I am the only son in the family. I haven’t gone back for a Diwali or Pongal for 27 years. My parents had COVID and were in the hospital six months ago. I haven’t seen them for seven months. Yes, cricket is a bigger emotion than anything else in India. But empathy is something we can all do better with," said Ashwin.
(Inputs from Backstage with Boria)