After steamrolling South Africa in the do-or-die clash, ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who claimed a prized scalp of Hashim Amla, revealed Bangladesh has improved a lot as a unit while adding Men in Green are looking to give their best in the semi-final during the ongoing 2017 ICC Champions Trophy which is scheduled at Edgbaston in June.
“You know how well Bangladesh can play, especially on their day they are at their best,” Ashwin told in an interview to Star Sports when he was asked how team is building up for the crucial games ahead.
Ashwin was making a comeback as he came at the expense of Umesh Yadav, considering the fact the fast bowler did well against Pakistan while taking three wickets before going wicketless against Sri Lanka.
Ashwin added after making the entry into the semi-finals, Bangladesh is capable of pulling something remarkable on their day, stating the team will take the resurgent side seriously while face-off in the all-important clash.
“Now, they are really in the semis [semi-finals]. And they are going to take them on, and we better take them seriously,” Ashwin asserted.
Talking to the Star Sports for the next game against Bangladesh, after India comprehensively beat South Africa by eight wickets and 72 deliveries to spare, Ashwin stated Bangladesh is a side which can’t be taken easily while revealing the Asian side has done quite well particularly in the 50-over format.
“They [Bangladesh have been in some great form lately which witnessed the foundation being laid by the experienced campaigners,” Ashwin said.
After losing to Sri Lanka in the one-sided high-scoring affair on June 8, the defending champions regrouped while showing brilliance which further saw fielders effecting three run-outs in the make-or-break game against the Proteas at The Oval on Sunday.
“At the start of the tournament when they were playing the best of their game. I think we should focus on one game at a time,” Ashwin added.
Brimming with confidence, the merry-run at the top from left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan, who registered a hundred and two fifties in the three games, has become the leading run scorer of the ongoing multilateral event which further witnessed an all-round performance from India in two games out of their three.
Ashwin stated the sub-continent teams have shown enough courage which also includes Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“This is really a good thing for Asian cricket,” Ashwin maintained.
The 30-year-old Tamil Nadu-born Ashwin has expressed satisfaction over the domination of Asian teams while revealing it’s a significant landmark to see the teams doing well in England and Wales.
“And it is really great, you know. Three Asian team playing in the semifinal of Champions Trophy, a major ICC event,” Ashwin remarked.
However, in the Group B do-or-die clash, Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka as India and Bangladesh has already qualified for the semi-finals.
Ashwin has followed cricket closely having a keen eye as an observer, he revealed his friends [teammates] were making fun of him after seeing Bangladesh as a promising competitor
“I thought they were really a tough contender, and my friends in the dressing room made fun of me,” Ashwin concluded.
The bowling all-rounder Ashwin has featured in 106 One-day Internationals in which he has bagged 146 wickets at an average of 32.45, after bursting to the international scene in 2010 against Sri Lanka at Harare.