NEW DELHI: Ravichandran Ashwin's ODI recall after 20 months gives an opportunity to the seasoned off-spinner to audition for the World Cup.
Ashwin and fellow off-spinner Washington Sundar have been picked as Axar Patel's replacement, who is recovering from a quadricep tear.
Ahead of the first ODI against Australia, the BCCI shared a clip of Ashwin talking about his comeback to white-ball cricket on their social media handle X.
The video starts with India head coach Rahul Dravid saying, "Having someone of Ashwin's experience and to come back is always good for us."
The clip then has Ashwin saying, "When you start playing the game where people talk about your numbers and your achievements it feels like wow I am achieving something. I am not a man of tattoos, but the tattoo is well inside my heart. I want to bring something different to the table, something different from my perspective. The team management has kept me in the loop whenever they said there could be a chance. If at all I get a chance to contribute and play, a zone of contribution for the team I'd be more than happy to do that."
Ashwin last played ODIs for India 18 months ago against South Africa in South Africa. Making a comeback in this format after four-and-half years, he wasn't too successful in that series, taking 1-53 in 10 overs & 0-68 in 10 overs in the final two games.
Previously, he was dropped in 2017 after enduring an ordinary time in the Champions Trophy in England.
