It Will Be Unfair For Me To Pass A Comment On New Coach, Says R Ashwin

Not speaking much on the appointment of new India head coach Ravi Shastri, India’s spin spearhead Ravichandran Ashwin has said the team like always will move on under the newly-appointed head coach.

Kumble, who was roped in as the coach in June last year, has had a very successful stint with the Indian team. Under him, Virat Kohli & Co. did really well in all the three formats. India reached the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings, after winning series against West Indies, New Zealand, England, Australia and Bangladesh at home. He also guided the team to the limited-over series win over New Zealand and England in addition to the runners-up finish in the just-concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

However, Kumble’s tenure as the head coach ended in a disappointing manner when he parted ways with the team after being told of captain Virat Kohli’s reservations overs his style of functioning.

Later, the BCCI named Shastri as Kumble’s replacement. Shastri was the team director between 2014 and 2016 during which India made it to the semifinal of World Cup as well as the World T20 in addition to winning Test series against Sri Lanka and South Africa.

“I think, the new coach or the new support staff, it does not come under my jurisdiction, it is not something I will take a call on,” Ashwin told PTI.

“I am not being diplomatic, it will be unfair for me to pass a comment on that. Like always, the Indian team moves on, India moves on (and) we have to find out in course of time, how it is going,” added Ashwin.

Ashwin, meanwhile, is gearing up for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. The off-spinner, who took 82 wickets in India’s 13-Test home season, needs 25 more wickets to complete 300 wickets in the longest format of the game and will surely want to accomplish the task in the three-match series which start from July 26.