'Bowlers play second-fiddle to batters': Ashwin opens up on pain of being dropped in overseas Tests

Ravichandran Ashwin is only the second Indian bowler to take 500 Test wickets and in all probability will become the 14th from the country to play 100 Tests when he takes the field in the Dharamsala Test against England on Thursday. Out of 99 Tests so far, Ashwin has won 58 with India and played a major part in them with 354 wickets at 19.11. Yet, Ashwin quite often found himself on the sidelines whenever India travelled overseas, especially on SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) tours.

Read: How Ashwin has kept evolving over the years?

Ahead of his 100th Test, the spin ace finally opened up on the disappointment of being made to sit out in overseas Test. While speaking to Anil Kumble, the first India to break 500-wicket mark in Tests, on JioCinema, Ashwin said that he has now made peace with the fact that sometimes he will have to sit out as per team’s plans.

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“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,” he said. “That’s because probably, batters just get that one chance. I mean you are knocked out; you are out.”

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“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.”

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“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.”

Ashwin also opened up on he self-motivated himself to keep improving consistently and how criticism helped him on his way.

“I go back to one person (on who he goes to after a tough tour) and it’s very stressful for that person, and that’s me. Because I think cricket is one of the greatest self-thought sports, Anil bhai. And if you’re ruthless and very critical about yourself, I think it will give you the truth staring at your face. There are enough and more critics in India who will tell you, 10 of them will tell you the wrong things, but they’re definitely critical. But 10 of them will also tell you the right things.

“So, like I always maintain, my biggest pain has been the fact that I don’t enjoy my success as much as I should have. But, that has also helped me become a better cricketer. I have constantly looked for things to improve and I have made sure that I am very uncomfortable with who I am on a particular day. And then I get back to the drawing board and focus on what else can I do to bring more to the table. For example, Steven Smith has got a hundred against me, how do I nab him, or Joe Root has made a hundred, how do I nab him. So constantly that thought initiates a new action and eventually it has worked for me over the years, so I am comfortably seated there.”

Catch all the live action from India vs England – 5th Test, Day 1 on March 7, Thursday, 9:30 AM onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on JioCinema, Sports18 1 (SD +HD) and Colors Cineplex (SD+HD)