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Sachin said ‘bowl like this when you get a game’: R Ashwin on how Tendulkar helped in 2011 World Cup
Ravichandran Ashwin narrates how Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni helped him during his hard times.
Apart from being regarded as one of the best spinners in world cricket currently, India off-spinner Ravichandran is also renowned for his mental strength, his tactical abilities and crystal-clear thought process. Despite these qualities, there were times when Ashwin was not in the best frame of minds. It happend twice - once during the 2011 Word Cup and then in the 2013 Champions Trophy. And on both occasions, Ashwin was helped out by a senior cricketer.
The off-spinner, who already has 365 wickets in 71 Tests, said Sachin Tendulkar boosted his morale when he was down during the 2011 World Cup. “Sachin came up to me and said, you’re bowling really well in the nets, bowl like this when you get your game as well,” Ashwin told WV Raman in a Star Sports new series ‘Mind Masters by MFORE.
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Harbhajan Singh was India’s premier off-spinner in the 2011 and Ashwin had to sit out on majority of the games.
When he was once again not in the best of mental spaces during the 2013 Champions Trophy, captain Dhoni came to his rescue. “Dhoni came and told me in the first game of the CT 2013 that I was bowling fantastic even though I didn’t pick up a wicket,” Ashwin said.
The first episode witnessed a plethora of cricketers sharing their thoughts on mind skills training through a video which included M.S. Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Mike Hussey and many more. Special guests R. Ashwin and RJ Balaji shared their experience, adding insightful anecdotes to the topic.
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Among legendary cricketers who spoke about the importance of Mind Skills training, former West Indies legend Brian Lara said for MFORE, “Talent is one thing, but one has to be mentally strong, which is a very important part of the game. I have worked on that part of the game more than anything else. So, for me, the key to be a top-class sportsperson you need to focus on mental strength.”
