"I didn't know how to respond or react to it for the last 2-3 days" - Ravichandran Ashwin on IND vs NZ 2024 Test series

Team India's veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stated that he was heartbroken following the side's unprecedented home Test series defeat to New Zealand. The Blackcaps scripted history by becoming the first team to whitewash India in a three-match series on home soil.

Speaking about the loss, Ashwin mentioned that he didn't know how to react to the unfavourable result. Calling it a shattering experience, here's what he said in a video shared on his YouTube channel (from 0:07):

"After the last video, I didn't have the heart to post a video. We have been hit by a 3-0 loss by New Zealand. I read somewhere that it has never happened in India in history. I don't know how to respond or react to it. I know that in my career and in my experience in cricket, we don't have so many emotions when we play. But it's a very shattering experience. That's the right word for it. I didn't know how to respond or react to it for the last 2-3 days. Sometimes, we face defeats. It's not that we don't lose. We have lost a lot in our cricket life."

Ashwin also emphasized that losing a series should not be a big concern as considering oneself invincible is a wrong approach. Suggesting that reflecting on the series defeat after a few days would give him better clarity about what went wrong, he added (from 2:10):

"Losing is okay. Nobody is invincible. Our first mistake is to think we are invincible. I don't think like that. After 20 days, when we reflect, we will have clarity. I expect closure. There should be a conclusion. Only if there is a conclusion, we can learn from it. There is no finish line. It's only a starting line for the next what you do."

Ravichandran Ashwin was expected to run riot in the three-match Test series against New Zealand, given his stellar record in Indian conditions. However, it was an underwhelming performance for a player of his stature, finishing with nine wickets from six innings.

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"Character assassination shouldn't be done by anyone" - Ravichandran Ashwin on the reaction of fans to India suffering a whitewash

Ravichandran Ashwin also spoke about the uproar from the fans following India's series whitewash. He pointed out that it wasn't fair to say that the players weren't upset with the result.

Remarking that the players were more hurt than the fans and urging the supporters to stop assassinating the characters of the cricketers, the 38-year-old said in the aforementioned video (13:09):

"It was difficult for me to see how people reacted. How did they react? Everyone should apologize, apparently Sir, this is a sport. This is a sport. I just want to say one thing. Everyone was hurt. As Indian cricket fans, everyone was hurt. But let me promise you this. No one can be hurt as much as a player in the dressing room. No chance."

"So, doubting the hurt is criminal. It's a criminal offence. You didn't do it. It's not good enough. Always accept it. Because players make careers and their careers are broken by what they do on the field. So, I believe that character assassination shouldn't be done by anyone," he added.

Ravichandran Ashwin will now tour Australia for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. India need to win the five-match series 4-0 to qualify for the World Test Championship 2023-25 final on their own.