MSK Prasad, the former India selector, believes India should bring veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin back to the ODI team for the much-awaited Asia Cup and the subsequent ICC Cricket World Cup. The continental championship will be contested from August 30 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, whereas the ICC global event, which will be hosted by India, begins on October 5.
“I still fancy Ravichandran Ashwin. You are playing in Asian conditions, and I think he is one guy who might be very handy with so many left-handers in the opposition right now. Australia are filled with left-handers, we have seen that. Ashwin will definitely be useful because he is also in the best state of mind also. He can be handy, especially when you are playing in Sri Lanka and India,” Prasad told Star Sports.
No amount of bowling in the nets is going to tell you how fit a player is: Shastri on Bumrah
During the same discussion, former India head coach Ravi Shastri spoke about Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness. He added that the star pacer’s fitness cannot be evaluated after seeing his bowling in the nets. Notably, the 29-year-old is set to make a much-awaited comeback in the T20I series after being sidelined for almost a year owing to a back injury.
“You will only know if he is fully fit when you see him playing in matches. That’s when you get a fair idea. No amount of bowling in the nets is going to tell you how fit a player is. There’s one thing called net fitness, and there’s one thing called match fitness. So these three games become very important for Jasprit. He is captaining the side, so he will know exactly how to use himself there, and it will give you a fair idea. And to be fair, the whole world is waiting for him because he is one of those kind of bowlers who rose to the pinnacle so quickly with some brilliant performances,” said Shastri.
