Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently opened up about the heart-wrenching defeat and said he was numb after the match ended.
The New Zealand dressing room was full of happy and cheerful faces after Ross Taylor smashed a boundary off Mohammed Shami to complete the chase of the 139-run target in the ICC World Test Championship final.
With that, the Black Caps defeated Virat Kohli‘s India by 8 wickets to become the World Champions of Test cricket.
Ashwin on New Zealand’s celebration
That was the moment when celebrations began in the Kiwi change room while the Indian players were trying to get over the shock of the loss.
In his latest YouTube video, Ashwin said New Zealand players celebrated the win until midnight which was quite difficult to see for the losing team.
“After the match, New Zealand have this custom of celebrating with .the trophy and a few drinks in the dressing room. It was tough to see it. I think it is the flip side of having a room above the ground. They celebrated until 12. They even arrived at the pitch, and it sounded like a war cry to express their happiness. It was quite upsetting to see as we couldn’t make it,” Ashwin said in the video.
Team India’s next assignment is squaring off against hosts England in a five-match Test series which will mark the beginning of the second edition of the World Test Championship. The competition begins on August 4 in Nottingham and before that, the team has been given a three-week break.
Speaking about the importance of the break, Ashwin said, “We were in the bubble throughout. So, after a long time, we are able to get some fresh air and step out. I have rented a car, and I am just driving around the country. First, we visited Devon. It was a beautiful and picturesque place. We went at an altitude that connected the ocean and the hill.
“This break is important for us. We had a lot of time between the WTC final and the England series. Obviously, we will practice, but this break is good. It has been quite hard being in the bubble. We have been in the bubble for 1.5 years.”
