'Rohit and Virat were in tears, seeing it felt bad': R Ashwin reveals what happened in dressing room after World Cup final loss

Invincible at the group stage, Team India looked a pale shadow of itself as Pat Cummins-led Australia outclassed them in the ODI World Cup 2023 final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. More than 10 days after the heartbreaking loss, Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on what happened in the dressing room. In a conversation with former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath on his YouTube channel, he revealed that skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could not hold back their tears.
 

"Yes, we were feeling the pain. Rohit and Virat were in tears, (and) seeing it felt bad. Anyway, (it was) not meant to be. This team was an experienced side, (and) everyone knew what to do," Ashwin said. 

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While Rohit stayed true to his approach and dominated bowlers right from the word go, Kohli broke several records with his consistent run in the tournament. Ashwin lauded Rohit’s leadership skills for paying attention to every member of the team. 
 

"If you take a look at Indian cricket, everybody will be telling you that MS Dhoni is the best captain. (But), Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person, (and) he understands every single player in the team," he said.
 

"He knows the likes and dislikes of each of us and has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each player personally," the 37-year-old said.
 

Ashwin played just one match in the entire World Cup. He picked up a wicket against Australia in their campaign opener. However, the off-spinner understands why Rohit and the team management decided not to alter the winning combination despite a slow pitch in Ahmedabad.
 

"As far as I playing the final is concerned, the team combination and all is secondary. Firstly, it's about empathy, (and) I keep stressing it a lot.
 

"It's like standing in someone else's shoes and looking at things from his/her perspective. Had I been in Rohit's shoes, I would have thought 100 times about altering the (winning) combination," he said.
 

"It was going alright for the team, so why rest a fast bowler for three spinners?" he wondered Ashwin said he was prepared for the grand finale, but was not certain about his place in the playing XI.
 

"Honestly, I understood Rohit Sharma's thought process. Playing the final is big, (and) I was preparing for three days in the lead-up," the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer said.
 

"At the same time, I was also prepared to cheer for the side and run in with energy drinks if I was not given the opportunity. I was mentally prepared for that as well," he added.
 

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