As if we are circus jokers or animals caged in a zoo: Ashwin recalls what irked Indian cricketers before Brisbane Test

When India and Australia were playing the third Test in Sydney, the venue for the fourth Test was still uncertain. Hard quarantine rules set by the Queensland government for touring parties had irked the Indian team management to an extent that they had even refused to travel to Brisbane. The deadlock was finally broken when the government eased the hard quarantine norms and India agreed to play the fourth Test in Brisbane as per the schedule.

India off-spinner R Ashwin explained why the Indian cricketers were against going under another round of strict quarantine before the Brisbane Test. Ashwin gave the example of the Queensland government’s decision to allow a certain capacity of spectators to give reasons behind India’s firm stance.

When India and Australia were playing the third Test in Sydney, the venue for the fourth Test was still uncertain. Hard quarantine rules set by the Queensland government for touring parties had irked the Indian team management to an extent that they had even refused to travel to Brisbane. The deadlock was finally broken when the government eased the hard quarantine norms and India agreed to play the fourth Test in Brisbane as per the schedule.

India off-spinner R Ashwin explained why the Indian cricketers were against going under another round of strict quarantine before the Brisbane Test. Ashwin gave the example of the Queensland government’s decision to allow a certain capacity of spectators to give reasons behind India’s firm stance.

"Indian team should not leave the bubble. But 15,000 people will be allowed inside the stadium to watch the match as if we are circus jokers. More like, we are caged animals inside a zoo. The crowd will have a go at us. Then they accuse us of not coming to fortress Gabba,” Ashwin told India fielding R Sridhar in his YouTube channel.

Ashwin also talked about his sledging episode with Australia captain Tim Paine in Sydney when the wicket-keeper batsman had told him: “Can’t wait for you to come to Gabba.”

“Tim Paine missed the stumping of Pant in the second innings of the Gabba Test. But I started liking him, he invited us, played the perfect hosts by missing the stumping chance, and awarded us the series as well. Can't say he helped us win 2-1 but yeah, on a sarcastic note, he did," said Ashwin.

"I thought Gabba must be really their fortress or something given the way they were hyping. It was 1000 wickets experience versus our 13 wickets experience. In hindsight, it worked out in our favour, I guess. Fresh bowlers on the park. This is the first time that 20 players have been used to win an overseas series," he added.

India went to become the first team to beat Australia at the Gabba in 32 years and also took the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1.