'I got angry...': R Ashwin reveals why he stopped talking to Sanjay Manjrekar for years

In a series of surprising revelations, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has recalled a tough phase from the early years of his international career when comments made by Sanjay Manjrekar had a big impact on him. After Ashwin's first tour of Australia, Manjrekar raised questions over his fitness and suggested that it was restricting his form with the ball as well as in the field.

Ravichandran Ashwin reveals unique equation with Sanjay Manjrekar

Ashwin admitted that the assessment made by Manjrekar did not sit well with him at the time, prompting him to avoid the former India batter for the next few years. However, he later realised that the criticism proved significant in shaping his approach and ultimately became an important moment in his career.

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In an interaction with JioHotstar, Ashwin revealed that Manjrekar once wrote an article after his maiden Australia tour criticising his fitness after which the India spinner got angry and did not talk to the former India batter for a very long time. However, Ashwin worked hard in the later years before touring to Australia again in 2015, which prompted another article from Manjrekar in appreciation for the star off-spinner.

"I had messaged Sanjay Manjrekar once. After my first Australia tour, he had written a long article, and I read it completely while returning. After reading I got angry, getting angry is one thing, but I felt very bad. I let it go. I used to not talk a lot to him either. The next four years, I worked a lot, as I was not a gifted athlete. Then in 2015, he wrote another article saying he was bowling very well. Then I asked for his number and messaged him that your article back then changed my life.

Ashwin later credited Manjrekar's statement with pushing him to raise his standards, particularly when it came to fitness and improving other aspects of his game. The hard work eventually paid off as he cemented himself as one of the best spinners India ever had. The equation between the two also changed for the better in 2015, when Manjrekar praised Ashwin's performance in an article.