"Test cricket is parallel to life" - Ravichandran Ashwin shares details of Rahul Dravid's speech from the spinner's 100th Test
Team India's star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently shared details of head coach Rahul Dravid's speech from the recently concluded Dharamsala Test against England, which marked the spinner's 100th Test appearance.
Ashwin disclosed that Dravid spoke about how the challenges of Test cricket are quite similar to an individual's life, as both are filled with ups and downs. Recalling Dravid's speech, here's what Ashwin said on his YouTube channel:
"Talking about Rahul Bhai’s speech at Dharmashala, if you ask me if Vijay Sethupathy is the hero of Vikram Vedha, or is Madhavan the hero of Vikram Vedha? I won’t know the answer. Sethu Na acted brilliantly in the movie, and Madhavan was no less. I was always trying to profess that Test cricket is parallel to life. Our lives’s ups and downs are symbolized. A miniature of this is Test cricket. Even this series has shown it. But Rahul Dravid also mentioned it in his speech."
Ashwin also mentioned that he shares a wonderful relationship with Dravid and considers him an older brother. Opening up on his bond with the cricketer-turned-coach, the veteran bowler said:
"I’ve played with Rahul Bhai, the player, right from my initial days on the Indian national team. But with him as a coach, I have a special attachment. I can tell him anything and everything; he’ll never mistake me. Even if he’s in the wrong, we’ve built such a relationship. But at the same time, there’s this respect that I have for him. I am a single son of the family. But when I talk to Rahul Bhai, I have this little fear that comes from a lot of respect and a license to talk about anything with him, much like our own big brothers."
Ravichandran Ashwin became the 14th Indian player to feature in 100 Tests. During the five-match series against England, he also reached another significant milestone, becoming only the second Indian bowler to take 500 wickets in the format.
"I got an IPL contract in 2008, but we used to play until 2014 on the streets" - Ravichandran Ashwin on playing underarm cricket in Chennai
Ravichandran Ashwin also spoke about how he played underarm cricket in the streets of Chennai even after bagging an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract.
The 37-year-old stated that Rahul Dravid also mentioned his underarm cricket experience in his speech ahead of his 100th Test. Speaking about his time with the Ramakrishnapuram Underarm Cricket Association, the seasoned campaigner said:
"I don’t know how to express it. I have written something recently. It’ll come in some time. I’ve written about the Ramakrishnapuram Underarm Cricket Association. He (Dravid) addressed that in his speech. It is very special to me. It is something that we used to play on the streets, and we made posters to stick around the area with all the details mentioned: 4 per team, a 50 rupee entry fee, and many more. We used to play for years. I got an IPL contract in 2008, but we used to play until 2014 on the streets."
Ravichandran Ashwin finished as the leading wicket-taker of the five-match Test series between India and England, claiming 26 scalps across 10 innings.