India look to unleash Ashwin again
His absence from the team was repeatedly questioned. Ravichandran Ashwin however came in for the match against West Indies, took 2 wickets in his full quota of overs and now has all eyes set on him as India's ace against Australia in the quarter final on Thursday.
His absence from the team was repeatedly questioned as Indian bowlers and the spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla had average showings in the initial matches. In came Ravichandran Ashwin for the match against West Indies, took 2 wickets in his full quota of overs and now has all eyes set on him as India's ace against Australia in the quarter final on Thursday.
Despite bowling in the powerplay, Ashwin gave just 41 runs making him not just a bowler with wicket- taking abilities but as a spinner who can stem the flow of runs as well. No wonder then that former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar has already declared that he will win India the title.
The single World Cup match though, is not the only claim to fame for the 24-year-old from Chennai. In five ODI matches against New Zealand, Aswhin took as many as eleven wickets with a decent economy figure of 5.61. That his 'carrom-ball'Â variation can spell doom for the Aussies at Motera is being hinted at by many cricket experts, some of whom have already suggested that India can look to go in with three full-time spinners.
"I have always been impressed with Ashwin and have said from the beginning of this tournament that he can play a big role if India are to claim the title," said Ajay Jadeja. Therefore though the query as to why Ashwin was kept cooling his feet for most parts of the league matches remains unanswered, skipper MS Dhoni will look to use his trump card to the maximum against Ricky Ponting's men.
Watch: