India’s crushing 0-3 defeat to New Zealand in the recently concluded Test series at home has been a bitter pill for cricket fans across the country to swallow. For the first time in history, India suffered a whitewash at home in a Test series with three or more matches. To add to the gravity of the loss, it was the first series defeat on home soil since 2012, when England had handed India a similar setback.
As soon as India succumbed to the unprecedented defeat, Indian team faced backlash from the fans. It was indeed an underwhelming show by the team, who looked all ends up against spin. Among those affected by the criticism was India’s premier off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, who, in a heartfelt message, lashed out at the negativity directed at the players.
“It was difficult for me to see how people reacted,” Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin, who is perhaps one of the greatest spin bowlers ever, found himself on the receiving end of the backlash. The criticism, however, was not just aimed at individual performances but also targeted the team’s overall inability to cope with the turning ball, particularly in conditions that should have favoured them.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin addressed the disheartened fans directly, calling for empathy and understanding. He expressed his disappointment at the level of harsh criticism being thrown at players, urging fans to remember that athletes feel the pain of a defeat far more deeply than anyone else.
“It was difficult for me to see how people reacted—how did they react? Everyone should apologise—sir, this is a sport,” Ashwin said in a candid conversation. “Let me promise you, no one can hurt as much as a player in the dressing room. Players make careers, and their careers are broken by what they do on the field, so doubting the hurt is criminal. I believe that character assassination shouldn’t be done by anyone,” Ashwin said.
