Australia vs India, 3rd Test: Ravichandran Ashwin "Couldn't Stand Straight This Morning," Reveals Wife After Gritty Knock Helps India To Draw

Ravichandran Ashwin (39* off 128) and Hanuma Vihari (23* off 161) batted for more than three hours each on the fifth and the final day of the third Test as India eked out a memorable draw against Australia in Sydney. During his grinding knock, Ashwin faced a barrage of bouncers and even took a blow to his ribs early on in his innings but kept Australian bowlers at bay from one end. After Ashwin's fighting knock helped India earn the draw, his wife Prithi Ashwin took to Twitter to reveal that the off-spinner tweaked his back and went to bed in "unbelievable pain" last night.

Delighted with her husband's gritty innings, Prithi said she was amazed how Ashwin was able to do that, especially when he "couldn't stand up straight this morning".

"The man went to bed last night with a terrible back tweak and in unbelievable pain. He could not stand up straight when he woke up this morning. Could not bend down to tie his shoe laces. I am amazed at what @ashwinravi99 pulled off today," tweeted Prithi Ashwin.

The man went to bed last night with a terrible back tweak and in unbelievable pain. He could not stand up straight when he woke up this morning. Could not bend down to tie his shoe laces. I am amazed at what @ashwinravi99 pulled off today.

— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021

She posted some interesting tweets as the play progressed at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday.

Have a look yourself:

Nobody move. I have stayed put in the same spot for hours with 2 kids. You can do it for 1 more hour. Go India!

— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021

Just imagine it is Aadhya crying nonstop at 3 am and ignore. https://t.co/zgw6ySjy54

— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021

Should I tweet as a fan? A wife? No no just be a mum and mute the cricket.

— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021

MCG Test now has heavy competition for favourite Test ever.

— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021

What to do with extra adrenaline when you are in a bio-bubble?

— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 11, 2021

Ashwin's batting partner Hanuma Vihari was in even worse physical condition than the off-spinner as he batted for most part of his innings with extreme pain having pulled his hamstring.

Vihari and Ashwin put on a defensive batting master-class as visitors batted for 131 overs -- the most by the Indian team in the fourth innings of a Test since 1980.

The partnership between the duo can't be quantified in terms of number of runs but the number of deliveries which lasted 259 balls -- just a ball shy of 50 overs, something which has become rare in this day and age of fast-paced Twenty20 cricket.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Ravichandran Ashwin Hanuma Vihari Cheteshwar Pujara Rishabh Pant Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney Australia vs India 2020-21 Cricket Australia vs India, 3rd Test