Ravichandra Ashwin: "It was very tough to stay away from cricket"

Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his first Test match since December last year, says he bly missed playing for India in last 10 months, so much so that wily off-spinner stopped watching game. 33-year-old, who has been playing only one format for India since July 2017, last played elaide Test from December 6 to 10, first of four on tour of Australia. To his disappointment, Ashwin did t feature in playing eleven in following Test series against West Indies in August-September when India only played one spinner in Ravindra Jeja.      

"To stay away from cricket itself was very tough for me. In order to substitute, I played whatever games I got. I tried and me an opportunity for myself to go and play some county cricket (for ttinghamshire). I tried and played TNPL as much as I could, played some league cricket in Chennai," he said.

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'Tried different things'

"It was very important to tick those numbers off because that is essentially where I came from. Going back and playing re is probably best thing that could have happened," said Ashwin, who when asked about time away from national duty.

After claiming his 27th five-wicket haul in Tests on Friday, Ashwin showed that he remained India's go-to spinner in home conditions.

Asked how he spent his time away from spotlight, Ashwin said: "I felt like every time I watched game on TV I felt like I wanted to play game. I was missing out I felt, it is very natural. I just wanted to play. Everybody goes through it. But that's t end. I tried different things in my life. My life has revolved around cricket for last 25 years. I thought my life, my family everybody deserved a bit more of my time so I tried to spend time away from game. I discovered or interests (reing archaeology books was one of m). I did t fret too much about game." 

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'Spike in worlo'

Fitness issues h sidelined him on tour of Australia. 

Asked how he dealt with it, Ashwin said: "In terms of dressing injuries and why it happened, it is best for medical staff to do it. For me, I felt like all of a sudden I wasn't playing all formats of game. "I was playing 12 months a year and up and down spike in worklo probably would have caused it. That is why I went back and played wherever I got an opportunity and from my side, I can tick those boxes and see how my body copes with it," he said.

Ashwin enjoyed his county stint in England where he even dismissed South African opener Dean Elgar, who got better of him here on Friday.   offie said t playing regular cricket for India also me him realize how much he loves bowling.    

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'Credit has to be given'

"I am elated to be back. re is thing like picking up a five-wicket haul for your country. This place is very special for me but I enjoyed a five-wicket haul for ttingham too. One is t too lesser than or," Ashwin said. "For me it is about playing game and I have realised that joy of game has to be back in my heart. I me sure that I enjoy game where ever I go and play. That I thought to an extent was quite visible when I played yesterday."

Talking about South Africa's fightback in ongoing first Test, Ashwin said Elgar and Quinton de Kock deserves all credit for playing way y did.

"It is a proper Test match pitch. You expect two teams to bat well, don't you? I thought y batted really well. Whenever ball spun, it spun from far distances t from rmal length. "We might have given m a few too many runs in morning session which probably gave m momentum. You expect a good side to play way y did. So credit has to be given where it needs to be given," he said. "We came back in back half of day. That is how Test cricket is supposed to be," Ashwin ded.

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