Ravichandran Ashwin reckons County stint improved him as a player

He played for Worcestershire in the English county last season.

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Ravichandran Ashwin
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Ravichandran Ashwin of India bowls. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Ravichandran Ashwin is a fulcrum of the Indian cricket team, especially in the Test format with 316 wickets in 58 matches. The Men in Blue will play a T20I and an ODI series in England, starting July 3 which will be followed by a five-match Test series starting August 1. While Ashwin isn’t a part of the limited-overs team, he is expected to play a crucial role when Virat Kohli and his boys take the field in whites a month later.

His last tour of the country was a horrendous one. He could play only two out of the five Tests and managed only three wickets. In light of refurbishing his skills in the format, the off-spinner, also played in the English county for Worcestershire last season. He notched 20 wickets in four games at an average of 29.15. Moreover, he also did well with the willow having scored runs at an average of  42.80.

The stint helped him to get used to the conditions in England and bowling on pitches, that aren’t conducive to spin. Yesterday, during the jersey launch of the Dindigul Dragons, the team he is slated to play for in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, Ashwin talked about the knowledge he garnered during the stint and how the same has helped him to be a better bowler.

“We always fancy our chances”

“I know what to expect in England, in terms of weather and pitches. Worcester’s home ground is New Road, which is a very difficult track to bowl on. I enjoyed my cricket there. I also bowled a lot with the duke ball during my stint. At this point in time, it’s not as difficult as bowling with the SG ball. So I think it should be fine,” Ashwin said.

India lost their previous overseas Test series versus South Africa earlier this year, however, despite the defeat, there were a lot of positives. The likes of Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Jasprit Bumrah, who debuted in the series, did exceptionally well and attracted praises. Ashwin also reckons that Team India possesses the skills and the armoury to turn their opponents over.

“Whether it is August or September, it never ceases to amaze me how the English weather keeps changing all the time. I don’t think that will be a factor. Our fast bowlers have done well in South Africa and we batted pretty well too. The kind of overall unit we have with the five bowlers, we always fancy our chances. Going into the second innings, the spinners are always going to come into play,” he added.

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