Wife and kids helped me stand: R Ashwin recalls battle with pain in historic Sydney Test
India Today
R Ashwin revealed that he battled immense pain as he was struggling with a severe back spasm to deliver for India in the historic Sydney Test against Australia.
India off-spinner R Ashwin has revealed his battle with pain during the Sydney Test against Australia, saying he went to the game 'crawling', with his wife and kids offering a helping hand. Ashwin further said that solid communication between him and Hanuma Vihari helped the Indian team seal a heroic draw against Australia.
Ashwin had combined with Hanuma Vihari to script a stunning draw for India in the Test match. The duo stitched an unbeaten stand of 62 runs for the seventh wicket and played a staggering 289 deliveries between them to deny Australia a victory in the game. Ashwin said that he was wincing in lower-back pain after an injury during practice but bowled 14 overs at a stretch on Day 4 before producing a gritty batting display on Day 5.
"We both got comfortable the instant we went in. We realised what problem we had, he could not come forward and be going on the backfoot. He was struggling from the hamstring injury. When I went to the crease I could not go forward against the fast bowlers. So in that situation, I said we will rotate and see how this will work," Ashwin was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"After sometimes he was facing the fast bowlers and I was facing the spinners. And with that, we batted for a couple of overs. There was solid communication between him and me we were helping each other out," he added.
Ashwin, who was present during the trailer launch of Voot Select's web series 'Bandon Mein Tha Dum' that showcases the journey of the 2020/21 India tour of Australia, also revealed how Indian spinners played a crucial role in the 2-1 series win.
"Spinner's role in the whole series was really critical. I was bowling my best. I thought I will take the most wickets in the series but Siraj overtook me which I'm really glad for. But it was easily one of the best series which I really enjoyed. I deeply missed playing the last Test and wanted to play so badly. In this series, I found myself in a really good place." Ashwin was forced to miss the Gabba Test after suffering a back injury in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Despite the injury, Ashwin had played a heroic inning with the bat to save the game for India. He was India's second-highest wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets in three games.
"It was surprising to me that I went bowling after the injury with painkillers. And bowled 13 or 14 over on the trot. It was so bad i was rolling on the floor because of the pain. My wife and kids helped me to stand and then the Physio came to check me. I went to the game crawling, but did my best," he said. All-rounder also praised star pacer of the Australian cricket team Pat Cummins, who sent many major Indian players back into the hut in the series.
