Home
Ravichandran Ashwin is poised for a significant return to ODI cricket this Friday, after a hiatus of 20 months. The stage is set for India's clash against Australia in a three-match ODI series, marking India's final endeavour before the ODI World Cup. To gear up for this series and the potential World Cup appearance, Ashwin recently showcased his skills in a local Tamil Nadu match.
Previously, Ashwin's prospects for the World Cup seemed slim. His last ODI outing was during South Africa's tour in January 2022, marking his sole participation in the format over six years. However, a twist of fate occurred when Axar Patel suffered an injury during an Asia Cup match. This unexpected turn of events created an opening for a spin-bowling all-rounder.
Interestingly, Ashwin was the primary choice to fill this gap. Yet, he declined the offer, citing inadequate preparation time. Consequently, Washington Sundar was swiftly brought in, although he didn't get a chance to showcase his skills in that particular match.
Nevertheless, Ashwin has now been enlisted for the Australia series. The team's strategy is to evaluate both him and Sundar for the upcoming matches, with the hope of Axar's potential return in the third match, pending medical approval.
In the lead-up to this series, commencing on September 22 in Mohali, Ashwin took to the field in a 50-over match for MRC-A during the VAP trophy, an event by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. His performance was commendable, with a bowling figure of 10-0-30-1 and a batting score of 12 off 17.
Captain Rohit Sharma, addressing the media post the squad's announcement, expressed his confidence in Ashwin. He stated, "With the kind of experience Ashwin has, has played close to 100 Tests, 115 ODIs...yes it is all in the past but he has been consistently playing Test cricket. With guys like Ashwin, game-time and time on the ground is not so much of a concern. This is why we thought if he is an option for us, we need to get him in. With the kind of experience he has, for guys like him, it's all in the head more than the body. I thought getting him in could give us a chance to understand where he is at, how his body is and stuff like that," Rohit said.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
IND vs AUS: Check date and time of Team India's squad announcement for home ODI series against Australia
Gautam Gambhir lauds MS Dhoni for prioritising team over personal milestones, says 'I feel due to captaincy, MS sacrificed the batter in him'
