June 18, 2023 
By India Today Sports Desk: India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on the Indian dressing room atmosphere, saying at one point of time all his teammates were friends, now they are colleagues. Ashwin was dropped from the starting XI as India lost the World Test Championship Final against Australia in London.
Speaking to Indian Express, Ashwin said this is an era where everybody is a colleague and not friends, like it used to be earlier. Australia beat India by 209 runs at the Kennington Oval to win the WTC Final.
“This is an era where everybody is a colleague. 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,” said Ashwin.
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He went on to say that cricket gets better when it is shared and when you understand the other person’s journey. Ashwin was the highest wicket-taker in this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, claiming 25 wickets in four matches.
“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,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin said the journey of a cricketer is an isolated one, adding that cricket is a self-taught sport. Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests, picking up 474 wickets in 92 matches.
“Nobody will come for your help. It’s an isolated journey. Of course, you can reach any professional you want to, tap into some coach, you can pay and go, practice, try to feed of them and all that. But sometimes we forget that cricket is a very self-taught sport,” said Ashwin.
Following their loss in the WTC Final, India will turn their attention towards their upcoming tour of the West Indies, where they are set to play two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is.
July 20, 2024 
