It Is Processes Versus Result - Ravichandran Ashwin Recalls Former Skipper's Words Which Helped Him Get Over His Injury-Phase
Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that he had considered retiring from the sport altogether due to a few reasons. While one of them was the lack of support from the team management, the other one was the injury-stricken phase he went through back in 2019.
Ashwin engaged in a conversation with Sidharth Monga for The Cricket Monthly where he discussed the low points in his life around 2018-19. Luckily for him, Dhoni’s words helped him get through the rough phase before he made a comeback in the 2019-20 home series against South Africa.
“It had become a psychological thing. I have never feared failure in my life. So to go out there on the ground and fail in terms of performance, it’s fine. Like M<!---->S<!----> <!---->D<!---->h<!---->o<!---->n<!---->i always said, it is processes versus result. I believe I certainly have cracked the process.
“And I don’t fear failing in front of millions or billions of people. It means nothing. At least I have got the [opportunity] to go out there and succeed or fail, which most people don’t get,” Ashwin noted.
I was not ready to throw in the towel – Ravichandran Ashwin
In the comeback series against the Proteas, Ashwin took 15 wickets in total in 3 matches including a stunning 7/145 in the first Test in Visakhapatnam. That signalled the start of the new and fitter Ashwin and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I was 32 – when probably the prime for a spinner is still ahead of him. I was not ready to throw in the towel. And I felt like I was being asked to, through the failings of my body. If I had broken down again during the South Africa series, I would have said, ‘This body is not meant to be.’ Thankfully I got through the entire series,” Ashwin added.
Having pushed through the injury-riddled phase, Ashwin now stands as the third-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests, behind Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev.
