Ind vs Aus: R Ashwin recalls conversation with Virat Kohli before former captain's Ahmedabad Test heroics

Virat Kohli ended his Test century drought in the just-concluced India-Australia Ahmedabad tie. On Day 4 of the Ahmedabad contest, India resumed their first-innings at 289 for 3, in reply to Australia's 480, with the former Indian captain batting on 59. On a pitch which was akin for batters, the 34-year-old Kohli ended his three-year-long Test-century-drought by smashing a sublime 186, laced with 15 fours. After the end of the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, veteran off-spinner R Ashwin recalled the conversation he had with Kohli after the third and penultimate Test in Indore.

Ashwin revealed that he tried to encourage Kohli as he felt the veteran batter wasn't batting poorly but was just getting dismissed on 30s and 40s. "Personally, Virat and I had a conversation after the Indore Test. Not that we both connect too often on such lines. But I personally felt, Virat was batting well, he was getting time and was getting out after getting 30s and 40s," Ashwin was quoted as saying to Star Sports after the four-match Test series.

The off-spinner asserted, "It was always evident and it needed someone to put an arm around his shoulder and say, ‘you are batting brilliantly, you just need to hang in there for a bit and things are going to turn’. And it’s turned for me in my cricketing career as well."

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Ashwin further opined,"I felt the big knock was around the corner. Even in the ODI series before this, Virat did play some of his wonderful knocks. Having him and Puji batting well together gives us a lot of advantage because one can eat up balls and the other has a real presence."

"As a cricketer, playing with them all these years, I know runs on the board are very important. And these two players along with Rohit, I can sit and watch them all day,” added the spinner, who won Player-of-the-Series award along with Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin ended the series with 25 wickets -- most by any -- followed by Jadeja (who returned with 22 scalps).

India will face Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, at The Oval, London, on June 07.