Champions Trophy: R Ashwin hopes to whip up something new for opponents

Ravichandran Ashwin is not one to look back on his past glory. Instead, he looks forward and the challenges that are likely to be thrown at him and plan his wickets in the attempt to bowl India to more victories.

Fresh from a month-and-a-half break from cricket, missing the entire IPL, the 30-year-old is looking forward to the two practice matches that India will play ahead of the Champions Trophy to get into the rhythm. 

“If you live in the past, the future looks bleak. It feels real surreal now after the one-and-a-half months’ break and if you have to sit back and keep cherishing the past season,” India’s premier off-spinner and all-rounder said here on Wednesday after accepting the Ceat International Cricketer of the Year award when asked how looked back on the season gone by in which he picked up 99 wickets starting with the tour of the West Indies.

“I will use the experience and keep pushing the bar. A day will come when the mind and body can’t take any more. Till then, I will keep pushing the bar,” Ashwin added.

One who has always played cricket wanting to get the better of the other person, Ashwin said that during his early days, “he was gutted whenever India lost and could not sleep”. “I just want to make sure that India won more than what it used to,” Ashwin said.

Truly a match-winner for India, Ashwin said that his biggest strength was “adaptation”.  Looking ahead at Champions Trophy, for which India are to depart later on Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu bowler said: “I am not too concerned about how short I am of match practice. It was time I took the break and I used the time to train hard, tick all the boxes. It is not about being on a holiday,” Ashwin said.

The conditions in England will be different from what he has endured in the 13-Test long home season. “Generally, in limited-overs format, the conditions are not static for the bowler. You need to be prepared for any challenge. I expect placid wickets (in England). Handling pressure is all about taking one game at a time. If you think of winning the title, there is undue pressure on you. As time progresses, you will become the hot favourite in the tournament,” Ashwin said.

Ashwin said he was aware of the rule changes in limited-overs cricket. “There is no point in going with the same set of skills. I have been working on how the game has changed, I hope to throw something new in the Champions Trophy, I am equipped enough to do that. The practice games will be an indicator of how the variations come out,” the 30-year-old said.

Ashwin may have missed out on the IPL this year but he has been following it from outside. “IPL has only done good for Indian cricket. A lot of players from other countries feel how much talent India has been able to throw in the IPL. I came through the ranks as well,” Ashwin said.

He had a word of praise for Tamil Nadu teenager and Rising Pune Supergiant’s Washington Sundar and hoped that “he would keep on improving from here”. 

“Washington did really well in Vijay Hazare Trophy this year. I have seen very little of him in Tamil Nadu Premier League. He has a very good idea to bowl in Twenty20. Bowling with the new ball is a massive challenge in T20, and I know it better than anybody else. The first scare you inflict always has a value. He does not give too much away. The pace and length he hits is very very critical, he hurries the batsmen on the backfoot,” Ashwin said of the young off-spinner who also bats left-handed.

Meanwhile, promising batting talent from Punjab, Shubman Gill, who scored consistently for India U-19 in the season gone by, won the Ceat young talent award.