Ravichandran Ashwin, the seasoned spinner, stepped back into the ODI arena last week against Australia following nearly two years away from the format. This late entry was a result of Axar Patel's quad injury during the Asia Cup. The unexpected turn of events was highlighted during a Star Sports conversation with Dinesh Karthik, where Ashwin laughed about the surprise nature of his late selection just before the warm-up match against England.
Ashwin admitted that he never imagined he'd be here, noting that life is often unpredictable. He feels that a mix of timing and the trust placed in him by the team leadership made this possible. For him, the priority lately has been finding joy in playing, which is exactly how he plans to approach this World Cup.
On the technical side, Ashwin mentioned his goal is to master turning the ball in both directions and utilizing subtle changes in pace and flight. More importantly, he wants to fully embrace the experience, as he suspects this could be his final time representing India in a World Cup. He believes the key to these tournaments is managing pressure and executing those small, critical variations.
While pressure is an inevitable part of the game for everyone, Ashwin believes that how a player manages that stress determines their success and the team's overall performance. He feels that staying mentally positive and enjoying the process will be his greatest asset. He closed by reiterating that this is very likely his final World Cup journey with the national team.