Ashwin speaks on missing iconic 2021 Gabba Test, ex-coach Shastri's 'box-office' reactions during series decider vs Aussies

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5 : Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin spoke on missing the iconic Gabba Test against Australia in 2021, which helped India secure a back-to-back series win in Australia, pointing out how he wanted to play the game but back issues did not allow him and the 'box-office' reactions of then head coach Ravi Shastri during the course of the match.
Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year, was speaking on the Cricinfo Honours Awards 2026, where he was placed among the top 25 cricketers of the century.
The all-rounder missed the Gabba Test. By then, a full-strength Team India had turned into a second-string side, with Virat Kohli not there with the team after the first Test due to the birth of his child and injuries to several key players.
In the fourth Test at Sydney, it was a defiant block-a-thon from Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari, who were both injured during their time at the crease, which helped India save the Test match while chasing 407 runs, ending their innings at 334/5.
Vihari made 23* in 161 balls, while Vihari played out 128 balls for his 39*. The series was 1-1. Ashwin had to give the Gabba Test a miss, but Rishabh Pant's 89* and Shubman Gill's 91 guided India to a successful chase of 328 runs, handing Australia their first Test loss at the venue in 32 years and India the series by 2-1.
Ashwin said, "I did want to play that game. I took a lap in the morning, but I just could not stand up. It was very difficult. I missed not being able to play, but I was there for all five days, cheering everyone on. During that particular Test match, I was helping manage the coaching staff and relaying decisions to the boys. Some insane messages were being passed around."
Ashwin pointed out Shastri's 'box-office' reactions during the match, with a catch drop leaving him so fumed that he flicked a bottle, which hit the wall and broke, capturing the tense vibe of a Test match where the series was at stake.
"Ravi bhai is box office when you watch these Test matches. There was one instance when he was fuming. He picked up a bottle and was about to take a sip when a catch was dropped. He just flicked the bottle, someone ducked, it hit the wall and broke. The kind of vibe that Test match had was insane," he signed off.
The Test series was one of the best in Indian cricket history, marking one of the finest comebacks in the face of injuries, absence of star power and the weight of getting bowled out for just 36, their lowest Test score ever, at Adelaide in the first Test. Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane's ton sealed a comeback win at Melbourne, levelling the series, while a defensive masterclass from Ashwin and Vihari kept the scoreline intact at 1-1, before youngsters Pant and Gill exploded with high intent in the Brisbane Test to seal back-to-back wins for India.