Ravichandran Ashwin also recalled how Rahul Dravid almost “brainwashed” him.© AFP
After missing the World Test Championship (WTC) final last month, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made a successful return to the playing XI for the first Test against West Indies, which got underway on Wednesday. He announced his return in style, picking 5/60 in 24.3 overs as the Windies were bundled out for 150. While Ashwin has had his equal share of highs and lows, the 36-year-old is very much at peace with how things have worked out for him in his career so far.
“Actually when I look back at my career, I wonder how it’s gone by so fast. It’s been literally 14 years on the go and if you include IPL also, it’s been almost a 15-16 years journey. It’s just gone like that,” Ashwin said after stumps on Day 1.
Ashwin also recalled how India head coach Rahul Dravid “brainwashed” him into not bothering about personal milestones and rather focusing on collective memories.
“Actually when I look back at my career, I wonder how it’s gone by so fast. It’s been literally 14 years on the go and if you include IPL also, it’s been almost a 15-16 years journey. It’s just gone like that. All I would tell anybody is… the first time I met Rahul Dravid as a coach, he made this statement: ‘It’s not about how many wickets you take, how many runs you score. You’ll forget about all of them. It is only the great memories you create as a team that’ll stick with you,” added Ashwin, who bagged a record 33rd five-wicket haul on Wednesday.
“I’m totally behind that. I don’t know if he’s brainwashed me to do that. From my point of view, I definitely think that this journey has gone so fast that I’m not even able to recollect what has happened, and how it has gone through. I’ve got a lot of gratitude and I’m very grateful for the journey and what the game has given to me.”
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