Loving seeing you in a happy space: Virat Kohli tells R Ashwin after Chennai Test heroics

India vs England: R Ashwin told Virat Kohli what has changed in his approach towards the game after the match-winning performance in the 2nd Test as India leveled the 4-match series 1-1 against Joe Root's visiting side.

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Loving seeing you in a happy space: Virat Kohli tells R Ashwin after Chennai Test heroics
Hope you continue to be in a happy space: Virat Kohli tells R Ashwin (PTI Photo)

In Short

  • R Ashwin said the Covid-19 lockdown helped him reassess his game
  • In the past, there was that desperation in trying to prove others wrong: Ashwin
  • I hope you keep continuing to be in this happy space that you are: Kohli to Ashwin

India off-spinner R Ashwin said he took a backseat during the Covid-19 lockdown and gave himself time to reassess his goals and understand people's perception of him, stressing the time away from the game worked well for him.

Speaking to captain Virat Kohli after the hosts hammered England by 317 runs in Chennai in the 2nd Test on Tuesday, Ashwin said he watched the likes of Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane and understood how they came back from tough situations by not trying to do something out of the book but by improving well within their space.

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Ashwin's batting had dipped after 2016 and his overseas credentials had been questioned. However, the India all-rounder stormed back to peak form in Australia, playing a major role in helping the team beat Australia 2-1 in Australia.

Ashwin carried the form into the England Tests at home as he has looked threatening in each and every spell he has bowled so far in the 2 Tests. The cherry on the cake has been the revival of his batting form. After helping India seal a heroic draw in Sydney, Ashwin turned it on in Chennai in the 2nd Test, hitting his 5th Test hundred in difficult batting conditions.

Speaking about the change in mindset that has helped him change his game in the middle, Ashwin said: "I think the whole pandemic thing... During which we shut off and locked ourselves down, I was thinking about what is going to happen. if you take the game away from me, I am literally lost. Even if I am not playing some formats for the country, I am putting the TV on and watching.

"And suddenly, I felt like the game was not here, so I was reflecting on things, trying to understand what I can learn from people and what they perceive of me. That perception really made sure I was playing a game that was completely different to who I was," he told Kohli during an interview for the BCCI.

"In the past when I was on tours, there was that desperation in trying to prove others wrong. But this time, when I went out there, it was proving to myself what I am capable of.

"One thing I have noticed from a distance when I see people do well is how balanced they are in terms of not wanting to be desperate. Jinks, yourself, when you came back to England, you wanted to do well but really within yourself, within your space, which is something I wanted to embrace."

'We are loving to see you in this happy space'

Kohli, who was involved in a match-defining 96-run stand in the 2nd innings, wished Ashwin the best and urged him to continue doing what has been doing for the team in the recent past.

"I hope you keep continuing to be in this happy space that you are. We are loving to have you in this space and seeing you perform on the field in this way. Two more matches to go, hopefully, you continue to do well and keep putting in strong performances and keep doing well for the team," Kohli said.

Having levelled the series 1-1, India will look to take an unbeatable lead in the 4-match series when they take on England in the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad from February 24.