Ishant called WTC the World Cup final for himself, it makes absolute sense: Ashwin
Mar 06, 2021
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 6 : Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday said that he is really happy for pacer Ishant Sharma after India managed to reach the final of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC).
Earlier, Ishant had labelled WTC as 'World Cup' and he even added that winning the Test Championship would mean the world to him. Team India on Saturday roared into the final of the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) following an emphatic 3-1 series win over England.
"Reaching WTC final is a result of the kind of effort we have put in the last ten years now. The WTC was announced and we have fought really hard. We have played six-seven series, we have literally got most of the points, we lost about three Tests in the entire circle. Surprisingly enough, we had to go into this series and garner points to get to the finals. That is how it was positioned, with a lot of last-minute changes due to Covid-19. For a lot of players in our dressing room, it means a lot," said Ashwin during a virtual press conference on Saturday.
"Some of them have not even played in cricket World Cups, it will mean like a CWC to most of them. I am so happy for someone like Ishant Sharma who got selected in the 2015 CWC and he could not play because he was ruled out due to injury last minute. For someone like him, to get to the WTC final will mean the world. I read somewhere he called WTC the World Cup final for himself, it makes absolute sense and I am so happy for him," he added.
Earlier, pacer Ishant Sharma had said that the WTC is like a World Cup for him and if India goes on to win the Test championship, then it would be a similar feeling to winning the World Cup.
"I am just focused on how to win this series and qualify for the finals of the WTC. I just play one format, WTC is like a World Cup for me, if we play the finals and then we go on to win, the feeling would be the same as winning the World Cup or the Champions Trophy," said Ishant during a virtual press conference ahead of the third Test against England.
