Ravichandran Ashwin reveals how bio-bubbles have helped Team India 

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday said that bio-bubbles in place due to COVID-19 risks have actually helped the team bonding between Indian cricketers.

Admitting that the bio-bubbles do come with their own set of challenges, Ravichandran Ashwin explained that since interaction with the outside is world cut-off due to the restrictions, the players have grown closer emotionally.

Ravichandran Ashwin was among India’s bowling heroes in the pink-ball Test against England in Ahmedabad, which ended in under two days. He picked up seven wickets in the Test. Speaking at a virtual press conference, the off-spinner said:

“One thing that I must say that because of this bio-bubble, players are getting together more often than it was there in the past. The team bonding has gotten better. I am also sure that people do feel a little bit of boredom or they feel lonely, it will be nice if they seek help. But for me, it has been mostly around watching something online and reading books.”

The 34-year-old also expressed happiness over the fact that he has been able to have him family around in recent times. According to Ravichandran Ashwin, things would have been incredibly hard in their absence. He added:

"Look, I had my family for the Australian tour, I had got them to Dubai as well for the second half of the IPL. For this tour, I have not got them here, I have used rotation policy and I have left them at home. Without them around, it would be incredibly hard, yet in larger hotel spaces, we do get our entertainment area, we bond much better.”

Thank you!! I am truly humbled by all the wonderful wishes coming in! pic.twitter.com/3MZLMaY5OH

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 25, 2021

Stopped thinking about landmarks a long time ago: Ravichandran Ashwin

While the pink-ball Test seemed to have ended in a jiffy, Ravichandran Ashwin did get enough time to reach the landmark of 400 Test wickets. He is only the fourth Indian to have achieved the figure after Kapil Dev (434), Anil Kumble (619) and Harbhajan Singh (417).

Reacting to the achievement, the seasoned spinner said that numbers don’t matter and that, for him, it is all about improving his game. He stated:

"I stopped thinking about all the landmarks a long time ago. It has been about how I can get better and what more I can offer to the team. I am looking to get better as an individual and cricketer every single day. I am not looking forward to what lies ahead and probably this is the reason why I am really enjoying my game right now. I would like to be in this space. This is probably one of the best phases in terms of awareness I have about my skill.”

A major milestone for India’s spin king R Ashwin 🙌#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/QbXdiD8fYO

— ICC (@ICC) February 25, 2021

Ravichandran Ashwin will look to add to his 401 scalps when India face England in the fourth and final Test, starting March 4.