Elated at returning to the Test side, Ashwin revealed a new outlook that has done wonders for his state of mind. Hitherto obsessed with cricket, he has chosen to widen his horizons, which has helped him enjoy his cricket even more. "I've literally stopped reading about the game like I used to do. In as much as you want to know stuff and watch the game, there was a phase where I actually stopped watching cricket for a brief period. I just wanted to play. I felt like every time I watched on TV, I wanted to play the game and that I was missing out. It's very natural, everybody goes through it. But that's not the be-all and end-all," he rationalised. "My life has been all about cricket for the last 25 years, I played with utmost passion. [But] I thought my life, my family, my friends deserved a little bit more of my time. I tried to spend a lot more time away from the game, tried to develop a lot more interests — reading books, a bit of archeology. I found that whenever I stepped back on to the park, it was a much more happier time. I did not fret too much, thinking about the game or watching the game but whenever I played, I prepared to the best of my abilities."

'Nothing like claiming a fifer'

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More than taking wickets, Ashwin added, it was the joy of playing that was paramount. "There is nothing like picking up a five-wicket haul for your country. But I enjoyed a five-wicket haul for Nottingham too [in the county circuit]. For me, it is about playing the game and I have realised that the joy of the game has to be back in my heart."

Brief scores

India 502-7d v SA 385-8 (D Elgar 160, Q de Kock 111; R Ashwin 5-128, R Jadeja 2-116)

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