Premier Indian off-spinner R Ashwin while recalling how Team India managed to bounce back from the defeat in Adelaide said that talks of 4-0 whitewash after Virat Kohli's departure post the Adelaide Test debacle in the Border-Gavaskar series were hurtful.
After suffering a humiliating defeat in the first Test match at Adelaide, Team India put together stellar performances and created history by clinching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year in Australia.
Off-spinner R Ashwin played a vital role in helping Team India bounce back from the defeat in Adelaide and win the Test series Down Under 2-1.
However, after a batting debacle in the first Test match at Adelaide, Team India faced a host of criticism, and especially with Virat Kohli not being available for the rest of the series many pundits said that visiting team will face a 4-0 drubbing.
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While talking about the same, Indian off-spinner R Ashwin said that everyone in the team, including him, was apprehensive about Virat Kohli's departure.
"I will put a disclaimer before making this point. After the first Test, a lot of people were talking about one particular fact which I think was huge at that point in time. Even as a player, I was thinking about it.
“We were going to miss out on No. 4 and the talisman of our country, Virat Kohli for the next Test. Imagine the gravity of the situation where you have lost a Test by miles, getting bowled out for 36 and you're losing your premier batsman and captain for the next Test," R Ashwin told India today.
Ashwin said that many people felt that after defeating in Adelaide and with Virat Kohli not being available for the rest of the series Team India will suffer 4-0 whitewash.
"But what was very interesting was the number of people that were talking about how that particular departure of Virat Kohli from that team environment would completely collapse the team.
"They were talking about Virat leaving and hence this team 'has no chance, 4-0 whitewash' etc, etc. A lot of things were being spoken about. I read a few of them after the Melbourne victory because I saved it up and not give too much thought to negativity," he said.
Ashwin pointed out that players who had played 60, 70, and 80 Tests were sitting inside the dressing room and dealing with people saying that the team literally didn't exist beyond that first Test.
"But it was interesting, when you look at that dressing room, the kind of results the team has achieved over the last decade or so is not ordinary. And we had people who had played 60, 70, and 80 Tests sitting inside the dressing room, having won a lot of matches on their own and still having to deal with people saying that the team literally didn't exist beyond that first Test," said R Ashwin.
Off-spinner said that people’s comments were hurtful but Team India channelized that beautifully both internally and externally and was confident of winning and made people understand what this Team has been over the years.
"It was hurtful to a point and I think that hurt was channelized beautifully by the team, both internally and externally. That's what came out. We have been quietly confident and maybe people didn't take notice of it. And it's about time we perform and make people understand who we have been over the years," said R Ashwin.
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R Ashwin further recalled how Team India felt after Kohli’s departure after the first Test match. He added that people's comments about the rest of the team were quite hurtful.
"I would like to dwell on Virat Kohli a little bit here. I think Virat, being the superstar that he is, can drive a lot of news. This time, when we were bowled out and when he was about to leave, make no mistake, I was sitting inside my room and thinking, oh my god we were bowled and Virat, who has been our lynchpin, is leaving. We all felt that.
"But having heard what people had to think about that and the rest of the team, that was quite hurtful and that is what I was trying to bring out,” he concluded.
(India Today inputs)
