In an interview with The Indian Express and Sportstar, R Ashwin opened up on the recently concluded WTC final as well as his life and illustrious career.

Ashwin took 61 wickets in 13 Test matches in the 2021-23 World Test Championship. India’s decision to leave him out of the XI for the final against Australia the Kia Oval caused quite a stir, with Sachin Tendulkar among those to criticise the call.

Ashwin was candid when asked about how he felt: “I would have loved to play because I have played a part in us getting there. Even in the last final I got four wickets and bowled really well.

“I am looking at it as a captain or coach and I’m just talking in hindsight, in their defence. So the last time when we were in England, it was 2-2 with a drawn Test and they would have felt four pacers and one spinner is the combination in England. That is what they might have thought going into the final. For me, it’s not a setback. It’s just a stumbling block. I’ll move on because I have gone through that.”

In fact, he might even have retired before the WTC final: “When I came back from Bangladesh, I told my wife that the Australia series could become my last series. I used to have some knee issues. I told I am going to change my action – because it really got a lot of momentum and with that when I was landing, my knee was buckling a little bit.

“By the second Test [in Bangladesh] it started to pain. It was really swelling up. I bowled really well for three-four years, right? To change my action, it’s got to be the most stupid and ridiculous thing to do. So I came back and said, ‘Listen, there’s a lot of load on the knee, it’s time to change and I’m going to go back to my action that used to bowl in 2013/14.’

“So I went to Bangalore, I had to take an injection at that point in time. I changed my action. I started bowling and my knee pain went away. I practised for three-four days in Nagpur and I went into the Test match without having played a game with that action at all.

“On the first day of the Test, I didn’t even feel like a bowler for three to four overs but I was able to get on with it because of the awareness I have. I think that is probably one of the best series I have had and the best bowling performance for me in a series in the last four-five years. If I can change my action and put my career at stake, I don’t think there can be a greater challenge in life.”

Ashwin also spoke of a key career decision in his early days that went on to mould his career: “When I hang up my boots, the first thing I will regret is having been such a fine batter, I should have never become a bowler.

“One day, I was seeing the India-Sri Lanka game and India’s bowling was in tatters. My favourite was Sachin Tendulkar, and whatever runs he used to make we [India] used to leak those runs with the ball. I used to think one day, I must be a bowler. Can’t I be better than the bowlers that are there currently? That is why I started bowling off-spin.”

While discussing the “different yardsticks” and “different ways of treatment” that exists for bowlers and batters, Ashwin acknowledged that “for the batter it is a one-ball game and they require the opportunity”.

However, he added: “You are seeing a batsman struggle in the match and nets and the requirement of a batter doesn’t change. It is still a one-ball game. I’m not saying the batter shouldn’t play. He should play and similarly, the bowler must also play. They should be treated equally because I think at the end of the day, you’re earning your stripes and I definitely believed through the ups and downs of my career, I have kept turning in and earned my stripes.”

A reputation as one of the great thinkers of contemporary cricket has a flip side: Ashwin has often been branded as an ‘overthinker’ – a tag he does not enjoy: “A lot of people marketed me and positioned me that I am an overthinker. A person who will get 15-20 matches on the go doesn’t have to be mentally overthinking. A person who knows that they will get only two games will be traumatised and will be overthinking because it’s my job, it’s my journey.

“It’s unfair to actually say somebody’s an overthinker because that person’s journey is his own. And nobody has a right or business to do that. It [the tag] was created to work against me, right?”

Ashwin also emphasised on the changing times, and the “deep topic” of team bonding: “Once upon a time when cricket was played, all your teammates were friends. Now, they’re colleagues. There’s a big difference because here people are there to advance themselves and to stride ahead of another person sitting to your right or left. So nobody’s got the time to say, ‘okay, boss what are you up to’?

“In fact, I believe cricket gets better when you share it. It gets better when you when you understand another person’s technique and another person’s journey. But it doesn’t happen anywhere close to how much it must happen. Nobody will come for your help. It’s an isolated journey.”

Ashwin also elaborated on why he does not remember much of his career anymore: “Before, when I used to go to sleep, maybe five-six years ago, I used to think of some great moments, getting a great wicket, great ball whatever it is. I can’t remember anything now.

“It’s just your journey. Maybe because of things that are far more important. If tomorrow, one of my players from Dindigul Dragons goes into IPL, maybe that will be a memory. That’ll stick with me. My memories don’t stick with me anymore.