Ahead of the five-match Test series against England, India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that the in order to win games in English conditions, one has to respond well at a given situation. The Test series is scheduled to start from August 1 at Edgbaston, and Ashwin has said that he hopes to emerge from the series as an improved player.
When India last toured England in 2014, the inexperienced side was defeated 3-1 in the five-match Test series, and though the visitors bounced back to win the ODI by the same margin, the impression that prevailed was that India’s batsmen couldn’t cope with the seaming conditions in England’s seaming conditions.
However, Ashwin was focused on acclimatizing to English conditions and had a stint with Worcestershire in 2017 when he picked up 20 wickets in just four matches, at an average of 29.15 and an economy rate of 3.16. He also averaged 42.80 with the bat. Talking about the same, he said, “I know England really well. You don’t get so many opportunities to do that in the current, very jigsaw-puzzled schedule that international cricket has. But for me, it is all about going there, understanding situations and trying to react to different situations.”
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He further added, “I want to try and use all my experience over the years that I have played Test cricket for and make it for the best use, make sure that I give my best there, and come out as another cricketer who has learned as much as it is possible to learn from other tours.”
The upcoming series is already being billed as the biggest test for India as they suffered a 1-2 series loss against South Africa earlier this year, but they held their head high despite the loss.
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Talking about the team further, the off-spinner said, “We know we are a good team. It is all about responding to the situations that are thrown at us. It is very important to stay in the moment and react to it. What also will be crucial is how well we adapt and acclimatise earlier on in the series. But once we do, that it is all about responding to the situations and having that belief that you can retaliate at any point of time. In a long Test series, we are going to commit mistakes, and likewise, we are going to expect the opposition to commit mistakes.”
India will now play a four-day warm-up match against Essex from 25 July ahead of the Test series.
