Veteran India spinner R Ashwin has opened up on the importance of Team India’s recently concluded tour of the West Indies (WI), where they lost the five-match T20I series 2-3 as well. The veteran spinner insisted that the experience of playing in the United States of America and West Indies will help them during the 2024 T20 World Cup. He again shared the significance of the wind factor in the Caribbean, which could be a massive issue for the Indian team.
Ashwin explained on his YouTube channel: “(WI conditions) Even during the commentary, many didn’t give this information. On West Indian grounds, the air blows from different directions. So, there is this ‘with the wind’ and ‘against the wind’ concept. Even if you understand the concept, the opponent team will be ahead by 2-3 balls. And in T20Is, these 2-3 balls will be a massive advantage. So, there will be valuable lessons for many cricketers from this tour.”
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R Ashwin, however, congratulated the West Indies fans following their team’s series win against India. He gave an example to point out the craze for the sport in the Caribbean as well.
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The off-spinner said: “(WI fans) Credit to West Indies. They didn’t qualify for both the T20I and ODI World Cups. Their entire island looked disappointed because of this. They spoke about the rich legacy they once had. In fact, a taxi driver told me how intensely they follow the game. They follow the game with insane passion even today. They stopped coming to the stadium because their team is not playing that well. A taxi driver and in a hotel restaurant, a cashier; these people told me these things. While paying the bill, they used to bat and bowl like us to let them know their cricket passion.”
