"Ravichandran Ashwin Is Walking Into The Playing Eleven Straight Away Against Australia At Chennai" - Piyush Chawla
Published - 30 Sep 2023, 12:26 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:19 AM
Former Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla believes that Ravichandran Ashwin will walk straight into the playing XI for the first game against Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023. Piyush Chawla emphasized Ravichandran Ashwin’s familiarity with the conditions in Chennai.
Ravichandran Ashwin was initially not included in India’s provisional squad for the upcoming marquee event at home. However, the veteran off-spinner replaced the injured Axar Patel in the final squad. He was part of India’s victorious World Cup campaign in 2011.
Ravichandran Ashwin Was The Straight Choice – Piyush Chawla
In a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, Piyush Chawla emphasized that Ravichandran Ashwin‘s inclusion provides the team with a similar all-round ability, as he can contribute with the bat as well.
“We all knew that once Axar Patel got injured and was not fit enough for the World Cup, Ravi Ashwin was the straight choice because of his experience and the way he has bowled in the past. It is no surprise. It is a like-to-like replacement as he can bat, and is a very decent batter,” Chawla told ESPNCricinfo.
The 37-year-old impressed with his bowling performances in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia. He picked up four wickets in two matches at an average of 22 and an economy rate of 5.18.
Ashwin Is A Street-Smart Cricketer – Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla praised Ravichandran Ashwin as a smart and skilled cricketer, emphasizing that his knowledge of Chennai’s conditions makes him a valuable asset for India.
“Ashwin is a street-smart cricketer. He is a very great player. No matter if he is bowling in white-ball or red-ball cricket, he is always thinking about the game. He is always connected to the game. So although he has not played a lot of cricket in ODIs over the last two years, he is a really good bowler and will do good for the team.
Nobody thought Ashwin would play. But he is walking into the playing eleven straight away against Australia at Chennai which favours spin. He knows how Chennai’s conditions are and has played enough cricket there to exploit these conditions,” he concluded.
The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on the Pat Cummins-led Australia in their first match of the World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8. The home team will play two warm-up matches to finalize their combination for the tournament.
Tagged:
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 ICC ODI World Cup 2023 India National Cricket Team Piyush Chawla Ravichandran Ashwin
