Team India’s veteran spinner R Ashwin has shared that he was heartbroken following the team’s unprecedented home Test series defeat to
New Zealand as well. The visitors scripted history by becoming the first team to whitewash India in a three-match series on home soil as well.
Speaking about the defeat, Ashwin added that he didn’t know how to react to the unfavourable result.
He said in a video shared on his YouTube channel: “After the last video, I didn’t have the heart to post a video. We have been hit by a 3-0 loss by New Zealand. I read somewhere that it has never happened in India in history. I don’t know how to respond or react to it. I know that in my career and in my experience in cricket, we don’t have so many emotions when we play. But it’s a very shattering experience. That’s the right word for it. I didn’t know how to respond or react to it for the last 2-3 days. Sometimes, we face defeats. It’s not that we don’t lose. We have lost a lot in our cricket life.”
“Losing is okay. Nobody is invincible. Our first mistake is to think we are invincible. I don’t think like that. After 20 days, when we reflect, we will have clarity. I expect closure. There should be a conclusion. Only if there is a conclusion, we can learn from it. There is no finish line. It’s only a starting line for the next what you do,” he again shared.
However, R Ashwin also spoke about the reaction from the fans following Team India’s series whitewash. He also shared that it wasn’t fair to say that the players weren’t upset with the way the series ended.
“It was difficult for me to see how people reacted. How did they react? Everyone should apologize, apparently Sir, this is a sport. This is a sport. I just want to say one thing. Everyone was hurt. As Indian cricket fans, everyone was hurt. But let me promise you this. No one can be hurt as much as a player in the dressing room. No chance. So, doubting the hurt is criminal. It’s a criminal offence. You didn’t do it. It’s not good enough. Always accept it. Because players make careers and their careers are broken by what they do on the field. So, I believe that character assassination shouldn’t be done by anyone,” R Ashwin concluded.