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'Australia players didn't like each other much...': Ex-India opener's blunt take on Ashwin's major 'dressing room' claim
The former India opener reacted to Ravichandran Ashwin's major claim over the Indian dressing room, as he referred to Australia's team in late 90s.
Team India returned to action for the first time since the World Test Championship final when they defeated West Indies comprehensively in the first Test last week. India's star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was controversially dropped from the XI for the WTC Final against Australia in June, made a stellar comeback for the side, picking 12 wickets in the opening Test in Dominica; Ashwin took a fifer across both innings of the match, including a seven-wicket haul in the second.
Ashwin's snub in the final against Australia caused quite a furore on social media and a host of former cricketers were critical of the decision at the time. Even Ashwin had expressed his disappointment at not being able to play in the final, and in an interview with Indian Express, also made a rather interesting remark on the Indian dressing room. Ashwin said the teammates in the dressing room are “colleagues,” rather than “friends.”
Also read: 'Even if I say, will they stop?': Prithvi Shaw's razor-sharp response to criticism over off-field image
“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. So nobody’s got the time to say, ‘okay, boss what are you up to’?” he had said.
The statement from Ashwin created quite a buzz on social media and after India's star youngster Prithvi Shaw seconded the off-spinner's opinion in a Cricbuzz interview, former India opener Aakash Chopra discussed the issue at length during a video on his YouTube channel. According to Chopra, it's not important whether or not the teammates are friends, as long as they are committed to give their 100 percent on the field. The ex-India star referred to the Australian cricket team in the late 90s and early 2000s to make his point.
“They (Australian team members) didn't really like each other as much, which is ok. But as soon as they crossed the boundary, there were unstoppable. It was almost impossible to stop them. A star-studded team that played for each other. It wasn't as if Ian Healy refused to catch on Shane Warne's delivery, or someone missed a run out chance because they didn't like the other. Everybody was trying their best to make Australia win. And it isn't just one example, it happens with a lot of teams,” Chopra said.
“There aren't much friendships, it isn't like family. There's cut-throat competition but teams are successful. It isn't mandatory that teams will be successful with only family-like atmosphere. Your teammates don't have to care a lot about your position in the team.”
Chopra, then, provided his own examples of playing in the Indian domestic circuit. Providing Delhi's example, the former India opener stated that the dressing room atmosphere was not unfriendly but there was “healthy competition” between players, which everyone wanting to outdo the other. In comparison, his experience with Rajasthan was the “happiest,” as Chopra insisted that players celebrated each other's successes more than their own.
Both teams, though, according to Chopra, were successful in the Ranji Trophy.
