IND vs WI 2023: Ashwin opens up about WTC Final exclusion and emphasises the significance of memories

Ravichandran Ashwin, following his remarkable 33rd five-wicket haul in the first Test against West Indies, candidly discusses the pain of being excluded from the playing XI during the World Test Championship (WTC) final. In light of the overcast conditions at The Oval last month, India faced the difficult decision of sidelining Ashwin in favor of an additional fast bowler. This choice sparked widespread debate, especially considering India's loss in their second consecutive WTC final. Ashwin now reveals the emotional challenge of not being part of the final match, despite his outstanding performance in the ongoing Test series.
"I've spoken about it. It's very tough as a cricketer when you have a shot at the WTC final and end up sitting out. But what is the difference between me and another person if I also end up sulking in the dressing room.

"When we went to the WTC final, I was mentally prepared to play. I had prepared physically and mentally, planned for the game, everything. But, I was also prepared to not play the game.

"If I'm not playing, how do I respond? How do I make sure the dressing room is really up and about. Winning the WTC final is the most important thing, it could be a very high point in my career and I would have played a good role in it. It was just unfortunate, it didn't pan out. The first day just left us too much behind in the shed.

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"All I'd like to give to my teammates and Indian cricket as a whole is some understanding and my best efforts on the field and I'd like to leave it at that," he said.

Ashwin reflects on the passage of time with astonishment. Amidst his current success, he has come to realize that it is not solely about the number of wickets or runs achieved, but rather about the invaluable memories created along the way. Now, in this stage of his career, Ashwin prioritizes the creation of lasting memories over individual accomplishments, emphasizing the significance of collective experiences for the team.

"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.' "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. I don't know how many more such moments will come to me, but whatever comes my way, I'll try to enjoy it completely." The COVID-19 pandemic also changed his outlook towards life and the game.

"After Covid when cricket began again, I promised myself that I'll enjoy whatever happens... whether I'm playing, getting dropped or if I'm retiring. Whatever happens, I will enjoy it," he said.

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Ashwin, brought into the bowling attack surprisingly early in the ninth over, thoroughly relished the advantageous bounce present at Windsor Park. Exploiting the conditions to his advantage, he proved to be a formidable challenge for the West Indies batsmen who struggled to counter his skill and precision.

"There was some bounce from the wicket, especially from the pavilion end. The wicket had some slope also which gave us bounce. But we utilised the first session very well. The wicket had some moisture and it was coming off it very well.

"As you saw, they showed a graphic that it was turning more (in the second session), but the turn was very slow. But in the first session, there was bounce, and pace off was good, there was bite. We utilised it very well," he added.