'Don’t do it, Ash. Don’t talk back' - Prithi Ashwin opens up on her nervous state of mind during Tim Paine-Ravi Ashwin's feud

The third Border Gavaskar Test at Sydney Cricket Ground between India and Australia, which ended in a draw, was marred with controversies. The heated exchange between Australian captain Tim Paine and India’s veteran spinner Ravi Ashwin on Day 5 had made headlines with many fans and cricket analysts coming hard on Paine for his foul language.

The hosts were deemed as the favorites to win the Test match, however, Hanuma Vihari and Ashwin showed some commendable form of Test cricket as the two batsmen survived as many as 259 balls on the last day despite suffering injuries to help India make a comeback in the game.

Needless to say, Vihari and Ashwin managed to get under the hosts’ skin with their grit and resilience. Frustrated by the nerves of the opposition, Paine decided to resort to some sledging from behind the stumps.

After a heated argument where none between Ashwin and Paine held themselves back, the Australian skipper lost control over his tongue as he abused the spinner saying, “At least my teammates like me, d⋆⋆⋆⋆ead”.

Ravi Ashwin was helping his partner at SCG: Prithi Ashwin

Opining on this feud between the two players, Prithi Ashwin, wife of Ravi Ashwin said that she was extremely worried when she heard Ashwin giving it back to the opposition skipper as she felt that the spinner was losing his concentration.

“He was helping his partner. When one can do that in that situation, thinking beyond oneself, it means they were in control of their emotions. I heard him tell Hanuma (Vihari) ‘Pathu Pathu ball, adulaaam’ (we will play 10 balls each). It felt good to hear his voice. The same stump microphone would later bring up other voices, which weren’t that good!

“When Tim Paine started talking, my worry wasn’t what he was saying but that Ashwin was talking back. Something he hadn’t done until then. ‘Was he losing focus, or is the back pain irritating him that he is reacting? What if something happens now? Don’t do it, Ash. Don’t talk back,’ I thought. I tweeted something on those lines too. That emotion was out of my body,” Prithvi wrote for India Today.

Prithi was again left worried when Ashwin started hitting the ball as she felt that he could have lost his wicket and India would have lost a chance of ending the match in a draw. “Suddenly he started to play a few shots in the end. “Why Ash, why? What’s happening?’ Perhaps, he was relaxing. I certainly wasn’t. The things that go through in the head, I tell you,” she concluded.