# Ashwin says Manjrekar’s critical article became a guru 2026-08-18T16:56:51+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets (3 source reports) Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has recalled how a harsh newspaper column by Sanjay Manjrekar after the 2011-12 Australia tour initially angered him but eventually spurred a turnaround in his career. In a chat on Jio Hotstar, Ashwin said he felt bad reading the piece on the flight home but later decided to learn from the criticism. He worked hard over the next four years, and in 2015 Manjrekar wrote a follow-up praising his improved bowling. Ashwin said he messaged Manjrekar after the second article, telling him that the earlier column had come to him like a guru and changed his life. The off-spinner took only nine wickets at an average of 62 in the three-Test series that India lost 0-4. Ashwin also revealed that he had modelled his bowling action on Harbhajan Singh after watching the 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and had never imagined he would become a frontline spinner. NDTV reports the story as one of constructive criticism leading to self-improvement, while New Indian Express notes that Manjrekar is known for polarising opinions. Both sources use Ashwin's own words and do not add independent comment. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three versions carry the same core anecdote from Ashwin, making this a straight personal narrative with no political or institutional framing. NDTV emphasises the transformation arc, anger to gratitude, while New Indian Express adds context about Manjrekar's polarising reputation, but neither editorialises. The measured takeaway: Ashwin publicly credits a critical column for his career turnaround, a rare admission that reframes public criticism as mentorship. What to watch: whether Manjrekar or Ashwin elaborate further in future media appearances. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist - newindianexpress.com (neutral report) Leads with Ashwin's recall, adds background on Manjrekar's polarising style, no editorialising - sports.ndtv.com (neutral report) Straight syndicated PTI copy, no slant, focuses on transformation narrative - sports.ndtv.com (2) (sensationalist) Clickbait headline emphasises hurt and change, but text is minimal and neutral This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T13:01:24+00:00. Tags: Australia tour 2011-12, India cricket team, JioHotstar, R Ashwin, Sanjay Manjrekar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ashwin-recalls-learning-from-manjrekars-critical-column/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ashwin-recalls-learning-from-manjrekars-critical-column/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/