"I used to complain to my kids" - Ravichandran Ashwin on his performances in IND vs NZ 2024 Test series

Team India's seasoned spinner Ravichandran Ashwin performed underwhelmingly in the side's recently concluded three-match home Test series against New Zealand. He picked up nine wickets across six innings in the rubber.

Ashwin recently spoke about being frustrated with his batting and bowling exploits in the series. He mentioned that he would complain to his kids after being unsatisfied with his performances.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said (from 4:43):

"I used to keep asking myself questions. I used to discuss a lot. If I wanted to complain, I used to complain to my kids. I put my best out there. It wasn't enough."

New Zealand brought India's home juggernaut to a screeching halt by outclassing the hosts in all three fixtures. The Blackcaps became the first-ever team to whitewash India on their home soil in a three-match Test series.

Taking accountability for India's defeats, Ashwin added (from 3:00):

"I am a guy who says I am the reason for everything that went wrong. I am also a big reason and a big part of it. I am very saddened by the fact that in this series, I am not a person who can single out anyone and show it in a team game.

"It is not right also I shouldn't have done that. I should be the ultimate team man. I couldn't contribute to the lower-order runs. As a bowler, I know that runs are a vital currency for a bowler."

It is worth mentioning that with their historic win, New Zealand ended India's stunning unbeaten streak of 18 successive series wins at home.

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"I started off well in many places" - Ravichandran Ashwin on failing to capitalize on good starts during IND vs NZ 2024 Test series

Ravichandran Ashwin also spoke about how both him and Ravindra Jadeja did well in phases during the Test series against New Zealand. He suggested that while he got off to decent starts with the bat, he failed to convert them into big scores.

He remarked in the aforementioned video (from 3:31):

"At several stages in the tournament, Jadeja played well in this series. I started off well in many places. Then I threw it away on a couple of occasions. I reflected on the last test as well. I was in a good state of mind. A physical aspect of it came up."

"I kept asking myself, 'Why did I start well again and again, and left it hanging?'. Where did we make a mistake? Did we lose our mind? You need to give a push. When you bat, you can't keep taking the punches. Every time, when I push the momentum of the innings, Just lost my wicket at the wrong time, At the wrong juncture, I feel very bad about it," he added.

With the bat, Ashwin scored just 51 runs across six innings. He came into the series in good batting form, having played a crucial 113-run knock in India's Test series opener against Bangladesh.