India is set to tour England in 2018, and it seems like Ravichandran Ashwin has already started preparing himself for the trip. Ashwin had a forgettable outing the last time India went to England.
He played just two Tests out the five India played and only had three scalps to his name. Ashwin is currently in England playing county cricket for Worcestershire, had a successful opening match picking up three wickets and scoring 36 runs in the first innings.
However, it looks like Ashwin is likely to miss the One day series against Australia next month. He got dropped for the one day series against Sri Lanka, and since then there has been speculation that Ashwin will only get consideration for Test series. Although Ashwin is optimistic about his chances to play in the One-day series, he said:
“I could be called to play in the Australia series.”
If Ashwin gets called up for the one-day series, he will only play one more match against Nottinghamshire. He is willing to stay in England and play the rest of the season. Ashwin added:
“But I have indicated to Bumpy (Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire direct of cricket) that I will be available for all four games. As of now, there are no communication channels (with BCCI) open, but they will be shortly, so I will probably get a clearer idea after the Sri Lanka series, It’s not just about next year. It’s always been a dream to play county cricket. I grew up watching it on TV in India and it has always meant a lot. Spinners have come before and told me it is a must-do experience. I was being rested from the (limited overs) series (against Sri Lanka), so I thought I might as well come here to get experience,”
He accepted the fact that this experience will help him in next year’s tour, “But yes, next year is in the back of my mind and in the back of the mind of the team management back home. With the pace with which the international cricket calendar is set-up, you don’t have a long time to prepare. That might even cost you a Test match. So these experiences can be banked upon and, if you can learn faster — which I pride myself upon — the results can come a bit faster.”