India-Pakistan rivalry bigger than the Ashes: Ravichandran Ashwin

Indian national cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has termed the India-Pakistan rivarly as the sport's 'biggest' on Friday. The 27-year old rated the fixture 'bigger than the Ashes,' citing the pre-existent simmering regional tension between both countries as the reason.

Addressing the media, during a press conference, Ashwin emphasised on keeping emotions in check, ahead of the clash on Saturday. He said, “Most people don't watch the match because of cricket, they watch it because of the history associated to the rivalry. It's like a border rivalry. There is no scale to measure something that transcends the sport. This is even bigger than the Ashes.”

Speaking about the opening day ICC World T-20 loss, the Tamil Nadu bowler was optimistic about the team's chances. He said, “I think over the years we have proved that if there is any team that can bounce back from a loss it's us. If we start building up momentum now, that should easily see us through till the end of the tournament.”

Both teams have begun the tournament in contrasting fashion. While India was unceremoniously defeated by a strong attacking unit in New Zealand, Pakistan convincingly won their opener against Bangladesh, buoyed by the performances of Captain Shahid Afridi.

Ashwin also differentiated on how a fan and a player approached this particular fixture. He said, “For fans it's an opportunity to have an emotional outburst of sorts, but for us it's completely different as we must keep our emotions check, otherwise there are high chances of doing something outrageous on the field. So it's important we keep ourselves calm at all times.”

Since both countries got independence in 1947, they have been a part of three wars, highlighting the importance of the tie. He added, “I don't think there is any added pressure for this game, because any game India plays there is pressure. So, we are used to that now.”

The Indian camp chose to take the day off, ahead of the all important fixture, with their opponents maintaining their regular training regime. Ashwin stated, “For us it was to get our heads clear, we have been on the road for three months, and at times these things take their toll. The key factor now is momentum and that's our main target.”