We all know how passionate Indian cricket fans are. When the team wins, they are gods; when they lose, the criticism can get loud. But when a senior player and a thinker like Ravichandran Ashwin speaks up, you have to stop and listen.After India’s recent struggles and the series loss against New Zealand, Ashwin took to his YouTube channel to share his thoughts, and he didn't hold back. It wasn’t a rant, but rather a moment of serious introspection that many of us were probably feeling too.Ashwin touched upon a sentiment that hit home. He spoke about the pride associated with the Indian jersey. Usually, even when Team India loses, there is a sense that they went down fighting. But this time, the vibe was different. Ashwin expressed that he has always been incredibly proud of this team's ability to bounce back and their historical dominance, but the way things unfolded in New Zealand was a hard pill to swallow.He pointed out that losing is part of the game—no team wins every day. However, it was the manner of the defeat that seemed to bother him. It wasn't just about a bad day at the office; it was about whether the team was adapting quickly enough to the conditions and the opposition's tactics.For a veteran like him, who has seen the highs of the World Cup and the lows of overseas whitewashes, this was a wake-up call. He seemed to suggest that we can't just rest on our past reputation. The "Brand of Cricket" we play needs to evolve because teams like New Zealand are disciplined, smart, and relentless.What stood out most was his connection with the fans. He acknowledged that fans have a right to be upset because they invest so much emotion into the game. He admitted that saying "we will learn from this" isn't enough anymore; we need to see that learning in action on the field.It’s a reminder that even the players in the dressing room are hurting just as much as the fans on the couch. Ashwin’s comments serve as a nudge not just to the management, but to the cricketing culture in India that we need to address the cracks before they turn into gaps.
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