NEW DELHI: Ravichandran Ashwin shared on Friday that he has freed himself from both external and internal pressures and now aims to play cricket with a smile on his face.
Ashwin showcased his resilience by scoring a crucial century during the first day of the opening Test in Chennai against Bangladesh. He teamed up with Ravindra Jadeja to rescue India, which was initially struggling at 144 for six.
The 38-year-old reflected on this innings to emphasize that his approach to pressure has evolved. He now only responds to critical moments on the field, unlike in the past when he felt compelled to react to every stressful situation.”I do enjoy and embrace pressure. There’s no doubt about it. It does give you opportunities to be able to be pushed to a corner and then try and respond. But I was critical too, earlier (of himself and others), because a lot of pressure has been put on me by people. I’ve put pressure on myself,” PTI quoted Ashwin as saying to reporters on Friday.
“The pressure I’ve always responded to – in answering someone, in a performance or in a press conference. But it’s not like that now. I want to play cricket with a smile on my face. I promised myself 4-5 years ago that I won’t respond to anyone, and I’ve been maintaining that till now,” he added.
Ashwin revealed that his mental detachment from surrounding situations and people has enabled him to distinguish clearly between his bowling and batting roles.
“Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game. One is done consciously, and the other one is done subconsciously,” he explained.
“To compartmentalise both has taken its own due and at this stage, I’m able to sequence that and split both of them.”
When asked how he maintained his focus during his 189-minute innings, spanning over three sessions and consuming 240 balls, Ashwin highlighted his contrasting approach as a batter compared to a bowler.
“The mind can play tricks because I’m a bowler who plays on 12-18 balls or 24 balls ahead when I’m sequencing it. But as a batter, I shouldn’t do that. So, I just used my experience to focus on the ball and hitting it as I see it,” he noted.
Ashwin also mentioned that he has worked towards enhancing his batting skills over the past three years to become more versatile for the team.
“So, I have worked a lot (on his batting)… quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game, work on how I can play fast bowling, all that sort of stuff. So, glad it’s coming out nicely. I am pretty content with what’s happening.”
Seeing his efforts bear fruit has left Ashwin in a happy and content place, both personally and professionally, something he cherishes greatly in modern competitive sports.
“You feel happy about it, having been in a contest and coming out successful out of the contest. So, yeah, the underlying truth is that it gives me a lot of happiness competing in this game.”
“This is just a vehicle for me to compete and feel good about myself and be happy at the end of the day,” he elaborated.
Ashwin’s insights reveal a seasoned player who has found joy and balance in both his professional and personal life. His remarks reflect a mature sportsman who now plays the game with a smile on his face, focusing on the moments that matter most.
Ashwin showcased his resilience by scoring a crucial century during the first day of the opening Test in Chennai against Bangladesh. He teamed up with Ravindra Jadeja to rescue India, which was initially struggling at 144 for six.
The 38-year-old reflected on this innings to emphasize that his approach to pressure has evolved. He now only responds to critical moments on the field, unlike in the past when he felt compelled to react to every stressful situation.”I do enjoy and embrace pressure. There’s no doubt about it. It does give you opportunities to be able to be pushed to a corner and then try and respond. But I was critical too, earlier (of himself and others), because a lot of pressure has been put on me by people. I’ve put pressure on myself,” PTI quoted Ashwin as saying to reporters on Friday.
“The pressure I’ve always responded to – in answering someone, in a performance or in a press conference. But it’s not like that now. I want to play cricket with a smile on my face. I promised myself 4-5 years ago that I won’t respond to anyone, and I’ve been maintaining that till now,” he added.
Ashwin revealed that his mental detachment from surrounding situations and people has enabled him to distinguish clearly between his bowling and batting roles.
“Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game. One is done consciously, and the other one is done subconsciously,” he explained.
“To compartmentalise both has taken its own due and at this stage, I’m able to sequence that and split both of them.”
When asked how he maintained his focus during his 189-minute innings, spanning over three sessions and consuming 240 balls, Ashwin highlighted his contrasting approach as a batter compared to a bowler.
“The mind can play tricks because I’m a bowler who plays on 12-18 balls or 24 balls ahead when I’m sequencing it. But as a batter, I shouldn’t do that. So, I just used my experience to focus on the ball and hitting it as I see it,” he noted.
Ashwin also mentioned that he has worked towards enhancing his batting skills over the past three years to become more versatile for the team.
“So, I have worked a lot (on his batting)… quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game, work on how I can play fast bowling, all that sort of stuff. So, glad it’s coming out nicely. I am pretty content with what’s happening.”
Seeing his efforts bear fruit has left Ashwin in a happy and content place, both personally and professionally, something he cherishes greatly in modern competitive sports.
“You feel happy about it, having been in a contest and coming out successful out of the contest. So, yeah, the underlying truth is that it gives me a lot of happiness competing in this game.”
“This is just a vehicle for me to compete and feel good about myself and be happy at the end of the day,” he elaborated.
Ashwin’s insights reveal a seasoned player who has found joy and balance in both his professional and personal life. His remarks reflect a mature sportsman who now plays the game with a smile on his face, focusing on the moments that matter most.
