Right ahead of India's ODI World Cup clash against Bangladesh on October 19, team's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey came up with a straightforward answer on whether ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will feature in the match or not. R Ashwin has so far played just one match, against Australia, where he returned with a bowling figure of 1/34. Since then, India have played two more matches, but Ashwin despite performing good, couldn't find his place in the final XI.
However, Rohit Sharma-led Team India is running on a winning wheel in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 as they have clinched back to back victories in their first three matches. The table toppers Indian team first got the better of Australia, then Afghanistan and then rocked their arch-rivals Pakistan.
In the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, October 18, when India's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey was asked about Ashwin's inclusion in the clash against Bangladesh, he said sometimes a tough call has to be taken and he already had a conversation with the ace spinner.
“Sometimes you have to take a tough call. We already have conversations with him. We have to put the best team forward. He’s a great team guy - he’s not grumpy, never complains,” Mhambrey said.
Mhambrey also talked about Pune Pitch where they will be taking on Bangladesh. He said,"Every venue is a challenge for us. As a team we look into last data, results. It’s a challenging surface for bowlers. High altitude so more fours and sixes."
Mhambrey also said that Team India won't take Bangladesh lightly. “We can’t take any team lightly. We are the only team playing on 9 different venues. We will take all the matches seriously.”
When quizzed about the likelihood of resting Mohammed Siraj and giving an opportunity to Mohammed Shami, Mhambrey was quick to quash that notion and affirmed that the team will continue with the same mantra that has worked in the previous three matches.
"No discussion on the rotation of bowlers. We want to take the winning momentum forward. It's never easy to keep Mohammed Shami out but we pick a squad that’s the best for the team. It's a difficult decision with the quality he brings but you only have 11 on the field," Mhambrey said in the press conference.
Shami is yet to feature in a match in the ongoing edition of the quadrennial competition. Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have led India's bowling attack superbly. Even though Siraj hasn't been in the best of forms, the right-arm pacer has provided crucial breakthroughs and turned out to be a partnership breaker for the Men in Blue.
Talking about Bumrah, the world-class pacer has been the best bowler in the competition. His ability to strike with the new ball and in the middle overs has been on full display. In death overs, Bumrah has been a menacing force.
“It’s been tough , to be missing Bumrah - he’s a world class bowler. He’s well adapted to winning matches,” He concluded.
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