India vs England 2021: Staying In A Bio-Bubble Has Brought The Indian Team Emotionally Closer- Ravichandran Ashwin

Legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has reckoned that the bio-security bubbles in place in the wake of Covid-19 have actually helped the team bonding between the Indian players.

While acknowledging the fact that bio-bubbles come with their own set of challenges, the champion cricketer said that staying in a confined environment has brought the players emotionally closer.

“One thing that I must say that because of this bio-bubble, players are getting together more often than it was there in the past. The team bonding has gotten better. I am also sure that people do feel a little bit of boredom or they feel lonely, it will be nice if they seek help. But for me, it has been mostly around watching something online and reading books.” said Ravichandran Ashwin in the virtual press-conference on Saturday.

Ravichandran Ashwin has enjoyed a stellar run in Test match cricket in the ongoing season. After having performed brilliantly in Australia, the off-spinner successfully carried his form to the England series.

The last Test might have ended in just over five sessions but it was enough for the Tamil Nadu cricketer to scale the 400 Test wicket barrier.

Staying in a bio-bubble can be mentally exhausting but Ashwin feels that having his family around during the IPL and then the Australian tour made things easier for him.

“Look, I had my family for the Australian tour, I had got them to Dubai as well for the second half of the IPL. For this tour, I have not got them here, I have used rotation policy and I have left them at home. Without them around, it would be incredibly hard, yet in larger hotel spaces, we do get our entertainment area, we bond much better.” Ravichandran Ashwin added.

Ashwin became the second-fastest bowler in Test history to claim 400 wickets in the last Test besides becoming only the fourth Indian bowler to achieve the landmark.

But for the veteran spinner, he has stopped thinking about the records for a long time now and for him, it is all about getting better and better as a bowler.

He also conceded that he is going through the best phase in terms of the awareness that he has about his skill.

“I stopped thinking about all the landmarks a long time ago. It has been about how I can get better and what more I can offer to the team. I am looking to get better as an individual and cricketer every single day. I am not looking forward to what lies ahead and probably this is the reason why I am really enjoying my game right now. I would like to be in this space. This is probably one of the best phases in terms of awareness I have about my skill.” he added.

Also Read: Surpassing Anil Kumble’s Test Wicket Tally Not On Ravichandran Ashwin’s Mind Now