Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 4 centuries to his name in Test cricket, has played for over 100 balls in 11 innings before Monday, played one of his best Test knocks ever at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against Australia in the third Test.
Ashwin batted for 128 balls and stitched a 256-ball unbeaten partnership with Hanuma Vihari to save the Test match for India when they required 309 runs before the start of fifth day's play.
However, no one knew how he was feeling on the eve of the final day and even his wife was amazed to see what Ashwin was able to pull off on Monday, against one of the best bowling attacks in the world.
Prithi Narayanan Ashwin took to Twitter to reveal, how much pain Ashwin was before going to sleep on Sunday night. She wrote, "The man went to bed last night with a terrible back tweak and in unbelievable pain. He could not stand up straight when he woke up this morning. Could not bend down to tie his shoe laces. I am amazed at what @ashwinravi99 pulled off today."
The man went to bed last night with a terrible back tweak and in unbelievable pain. He could not stand up straight when he woke up this morning. Could not bend down to tie his shoe laces. I am amazed at what @ashwinravi99 pulled off today.
— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021
Prithi was constantly cheering her better half on throughout the day, even when Australian skipper Tim Paine was chirping in his ears from behind the stumps. She advised him to imagine their younger daughter Aadhya, crying at 3 AM and just ignore it.
Should I tweet as a fan? A wife? No no just be a mum and mute the cricket.
— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021
When he was being sledged, Prithi also asked him to keep his cool and not get distracted by the words of Australian skipper.
Just imagine it is Aadhya crying nonstop at 3 am and ignore. https://t.co/zgw6ySjy54
— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021
Ashwin and Vihari led one of the best rearguard actions in Indian cricket's history of Test cricket to keep the Australian bowlers at bay and didn't let them lose any more wicket after the departures of Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant.