Ravichandran Ashwin discloses the injury he carried during the England series

Ravichandran Ashwin performed beautifully well against England bagging 28 wickets in the five-Test match series. India managed to beat the visitors 4-0 in the same. Ashwin did that while being only being 60-70% fit. And not many people knew about his injury.

Ashwin was suffering from Sports Hernia and is still recovering from it. When asked about this he confirmed the claim. He said, “I had athletic pubalgia (sports hernia) and I have managed that since the series against England. I needed the break to recoup before the Test series. The break was about rehab, about training and doing active recovery. It basically occupied most of my time.”

“It was all about getting ready for the Test series. It Is very important to get back to your drawing room and do things that help you relax before an important series. These series can be exhaustive both mentally and physically. It is crucial to recharge your batteries.” Ashwin said.

The 30-year-old was then asked about his plans for Australia and David Warner. To which he claimed to be having no plans. He believes that Test is cricket is about restoring the balance over five days and coming up with one plan won’t help. “Honestly, I don’t have any plans for him. Aussies are all fine players. Test cricket is not like T20 or one-day where you come up with a single plan and succeed in executing it. You have to try and restore balance and intensity over a five-day period,” Ashwin was quoted saying during an interview by NDTV.

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He also said that India have enough fire-power to stop the in-form Australian opener. “Warner is a massive player and he can change games around in a session. But, he can’t come and play on the fourth day like he does on the first. I think we have got enough resolve to stop him,” explained Ashwin.

He looks at the Australian Test series as a 20-day program he has to pass with flying colours. He also stated that he is trying to improve his fitness and his body strength. He has done it against New Zealand and England he might do it against Australia as well.

“I will try to get through the 20 days. My injury concerns have been a bit of an issue. It was on the back of my mind in the last two series. Against New Zealand and England, I could perform only 60-70 per cent of my potential. I’m trying to get better and put more strength on my body. Sports Hernia is something that can’t be managed easily. It’s been a big challenge for me. It takes a lot of time to warm up these days,” said Ashwin.