India will open their ODI World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8.
In early September, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced India's preliminary team for the World Cup, but he did not mention any reserve players. He indicated that this would be the final squad unless there were any injuries. This seemed to be the case until the Asia Cup, when Axar Patel suffered a tear in his quadriceps muscle.
Unfortunately, he was unable to recover in time for the final match of the Australia series, where he was supposed to join the squad. As a result, he was ruled out of the tournament. India then selected Ashwin as his replacement, who only made his return to the ODI format last week against Australia after a 20-month absence.
The recent turn of events has surprised Ashwin himself. When his veteran cricketer and fellow Tamil Nadu teammate Dinesh Karthik jokingly asked him about his late World Cup selection during a chat on Star Sports ahead of the World Cup warm-up match against England at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Ashwin laughed it off.
"I would be saying you are joking," he started off with laughter before adding: "Life is full of surprises and I honestly wasn't thinking I would be here. The trust that the team management has shown and circumstances have made sure I am here today. But enjoying the game has been my prime motive over the last few years and that is what I will be doing in this tournament."
Amid concerns over Axar's injury, Ashwin and Washington Sundar were called up as replacements for the Australia series. Sundar had previously replaced Axar in the Asia Cup final, but it was Ashwin who was given the opportunity to play in the first two games against the Aussies. Ashwin showcased his skills by taking four wickets in an economical manner in both Mohali and Indore, three of which came in the second ODI where he initiated a mini collapse.
During a conversation with Karthik, Ashwin admitted that his main focus, apart from his bowling, would be to enjoy what could potentially be his final World Cup appearance. He expressed his intention to spin the ball in both directions and incorporate subtle variations into his game.
"All I do is turn the ball both ways and I feel I can already do that. It is all about doing subtle variations and dealing with pressure in these sort of tournaments. Pressure is of paramount importance for most players in these tournament, but how you deal with it dictate how the tournament goes for yourself and the team. As far as I am concerned, being in a good space and enjoying the game will hold me in good stead. I have kept saying this, it could well be my last World Cup for India," he said.
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 "Image Source: Twitter")
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