"I'm not sure how much of that has taken up our dressing room. But certainly they (Bangladesh) put their hands up and said, 'look, we're a team on the rise and we're playing wonderful cricket'. I watched some of those clips (against Pakistan). , they were not live in India, really an exceptional result for the Bangladesh cricket team, so they have also passed.
"I'm one of those guys who love to see the underdogs come out and perform. You can't call them underdogs anymore, they've played some wonderful cricket. They challenged us in Bangladesh the last time we were there. I'm really looking forward to having a good series,” Ashwin said in a pre-match chat with broadcasters on Thursday.
He also believes that the Chepauk red dirt pitch will test both India and Bangladesh in all aspects of the game. "In all the Test matches we have played here so far, barring the low-scoring one against England, the batsmen have generally had big runs. The game against Australia was literally a 500-wicket game. .
"It's always been a good testing ground. We'll be playing on a red dirt field again. There will be a lot of bounce, but there will also be value for the players. Every facet of the game will be playful."
Ashwin, who hails from Chennai, recently turned 38 and felt that working harder helps give him that edge to do well in Test matches of late. "The excitement and ambition are always the same when I go out on the field. Cricket is a game that I absolutely love. I have enjoyed every moment I have been on the field. But age is a number and mindset is also a number .
"But the kind of work that you accumulate over a period of time to get out in the park and have the best energy levels to be able to persevere and keep going, definitely takes its toll over time. But you need to work harder to get that little advantage." .
Ashwin signed off by saying that making a century and picking a fifer in the 2021 Chepauk Test against England is his favorite memory of playing Tests at his home venue. “Both – the game against England was played after the Covid break and was the first time the crowd was back.”
"I didn't expect that kind of reception, and I didn't expect so many people to come to see the game either. For that game to turn out the way it did for me was very special. It has always been an incredible field. For me they are wonderful memories, also very old memories. Coming back here is always very special for me."
"I'm one of those guys who love to see the underdogs come out and perform. You can't call them underdogs anymore, they've played some wonderful cricket. They challenged us in Bangladesh the last time we were there. I'm really looking forward to having a good series,” Ashwin said in a pre-match chat with broadcasters on Thursday.
He also believes that the Chepauk red dirt pitch will test both India and Bangladesh in all aspects of the game. "In all the Test matches we have played here so far, barring the low-scoring one against England, the batsmen have generally had big runs. The game against Australia was literally a 500-wicket game. .
"It's always been a good testing ground. We'll be playing on a red dirt field again. There will be a lot of bounce, but there will also be value for the players. Every facet of the game will be playful."
Ashwin, who hails from Chennai, recently turned 38 and felt that working harder helps give him that edge to do well in Test matches of late. "The excitement and ambition are always the same when I go out on the field. Cricket is a game that I absolutely love. I have enjoyed every moment I have been on the field. But age is a number and mindset is also a number .
"But the kind of work that you accumulate over a period of time to get out in the park and have the best energy levels to be able to persevere and keep going, definitely takes its toll over time. But you need to work harder to get that little advantage." .
Ashwin signed off by saying that making a century and picking a fifer in the 2021 Chepauk Test against England is his favorite memory of playing Tests at his home venue. “Both – the game against England was played after the Covid break and was the first time the crowd was back.”
"I didn't expect that kind of reception, and I didn't expect so many people to come to see the game either. For that game to turn out the way it did for me was very special. It has always been an incredible field. For me they are wonderful memories, also very old memories. Coming back here is always very special for me."
