Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari played a big role in the draw of the third Test played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during the 2021-22 tour of Australia. The pair shared an unbeaten 62 runs in 259 balls. During this both the players were injured. Vihari suffered a hamstring injury during his innings and Ashwin was suffering from back pain.
While Vihari scored an unbeaten 23 off 161 balls, Ashwin scored an unbeaten 39 off 128 balls. Both dashed Australia’s hopes of victory. After the Sydney Test was drawn, India achieved a historic Test victory at the Gabba. Team India was battling with an injury. Even after this, the hosts lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a margin of 2-1.
Recalling the Sydney Test, Ashwin said that solid conversations were a major reason behind his partnership with Vihari. He told news agency ANI, “As soon as we got comfortable on the ground. We realized what a problem we had, he couldn’t come forward and was going on the back foot. He was battling a hamstring injury. When I went to the crease, I could not go ahead against the fast bowlers. So in that case, I said we will rotate the strike and see how it works out.”
Ashwin further said, “Sometimes he was facing the fast bowlers and I was facing the spinners. With that we batted for a few overs. He and I were having a conversation. We were helping each other.” Ashwin, who missed the Gabba Test in Sydney due to a back injury, revealed that he was moaning in pain and had to support his wife and children to get up. The veteran bowler took 12 wickets in three matches and was the second highest wicket-taker for India in the series.
Ashwin further said, “It was a surprise to me that I was bowling with a pain killer after getting injured. Bowling 13 or 14 overs in a row. Such was the injury that I was rolling on the floor due to pain. My wife and kids helped me stand and then the physio came to see me. I went to play crawling, but I did my best.”
Ashwin heaped praise on Pat Cummins, who took 21 wickets in the series. The 29-year-old Australian fast bowler troubled the Indian batsmen. Regarding this, the veteran spinner said, “Pat Cummins was looking great bowler. He was at his top. It was very difficult to bat against him. Mitchell Starc has the pace, but Pat seems to have bowled 5km faster than him. It is such a feeling. Which cannot be described. ,