Ashwin also emphasized the importance of managing pressure in a high-stakes tournament like the World Cup, highlighting the benefits of being in a positive mental space and focusing on enjoying the game. He expressed his desire to relish the tournament and prioritize enjoyment over all else.

“Pressure is of paramount importance for most players in this tournament. Being in a good space and training to enjoy the game will hold me in good stead, I reckon. Want to enjoy the tournament? I don’t know. For me, enjoying the tournament is more important,” added the cricketer from Chennai.

As India readies for their first CWC 2023 match against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, a venue known to favor spinners, Ashwin may have the opportunity to shine on his home ground, adding an extra layer of significance to what would be his final World Cup campaign in ODI cricket.

This change was executed right before the deadline for making alterations to the initial squad. Any further modifications made after the September 28 deadline would require approval from the World Cup’s technical committee.

Ashwin has joined the team in Guwahati, where India is set to engage in their first of two warm-up fixtures against England at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. They will later face the Netherlands at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram in the second warm-up game before commencing their World Cup campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Notably, with Ashwin’s inclusion, he becomes just the second player from the 2011 World Cup-winning India side to be part of the 2023 contingent, the other being Virat Kohli. While Ashwin has only played two ODIs since the beginning of 2018, he was named in the squad for the home series against Australia. His presence hints at a dual role in the team, not only as a spin bowler but also as a contributor with the bat, a role initially expected of Axar.

Ashwin’s addition also introduces an off-spinning option to the side, addressing a variety lacking in the team’s bowling arsenal. His ability to turn the ball away from left-handed batsmen could prove advantageous against teams with several southpaw hitters.

India Squad For World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav

The Asia Cup 2023 commences today with Pakistan locking horns with Nepal in a Group-A encounter at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Pakistan enters the tournament with a surge of momentum, having recently clinched the top spot in the ICC ODI team rankings following a convincing 3-0 sweep over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka.

Amidst intermittent showers at Queen’s Park Oval, Mohammed Siraj dismantled the lower order of the West Indies in the morning, granting India a lead of 183 runs in the first innings.

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and wicketkeeper-batsman, Ishan Kishan, then accelerated the scoring with impressive half-centuries, leading to a swift declaration of the second innings at 181 for two in just 24 overs.

Ashwin, who had been the tormentor of the West Indies in the first Test with an outstanding 11-wicket performance, continued his dominance by dismissing West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite through a top-edged sweep and then removing debutant Kirk McKenzie lbw without any runs scored.

Yet, the determined Tagenarine Chanderpaul, very much resembling his celebrated father Shivnarine, remained at the crease, forming a partnership with vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood until the close of play.

The West Indies face a formidable target of 289 runs on the final day, and it seems like a daunting challenge, given the experience, competence, and confidence of the Indian team striving for a 2-0 series sweep, marking the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle.

In humid conditions earlier in the day, Siraj’s exceptional performance saw him claim his best Test figures of five for 60, causing the West Indies to collapse from an overnight score of 229 for five to 255 all out, with the last five wickets falling for just 26 runs.

Sharma set the pace for India with a rapid 35-ball 50 before lunch, eventually scoring 57, while his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, played a similarly attacking innings with 38 runs in the three overs bowled during the afternoon session.

Following Jaiswal’s dismissal, Ishan Kishan showcased his natural flair, remaining unbeaten on 52 off just 34 balls, including four fours and two sixes, marking his maiden Test half-century.

Looking ahead, Kishan emphasized the importance of execution on the final day and credited Virat Kohli’s support for allowing him to play his natural game. The Indian team is eager to demonstrate the result of their preparation for this series.

In the West Indies’ second innings, debutant pacer Mukesh Kumar was given a chance to share the new ball with Siraj after his pivotal wicket in the first over of the day. However, the opening pair of Brathwaite and Chanderpaul handled the challenge without significant trouble. It was Ashwin’s cunning bowling in the 18th over that eventually broke the partnership, marking the fourth time in four innings that he dismissed West Indies captain Brathwaite.

On the first day of the opening Test in Dominica, Ravichandran Ashwin showcased his exceptional bowling skills, taking five wickets to lead India’s dominant performance. After bundling out the West Indies for 150, India ended the day at 80 without loss. Ashwin, who was omitted for the World Test Championship final against Australia a month earlier, delivered a remarkable performance, claiming figures of 5/60 off 24.3 overs. This left West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite ruing his decision to bat first after winning the toss.

Ashwin received excellent support from fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who secured three wickets for just 26 runs. The only notable resistance came from debutant batsman Alick Athanaze, who delighted the home fans with his composed innings of 47 before falling just before the tea interval.

India’s opening batsmen, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, remained unbeaten at stumps, forming an unbroken partnership. The West Indies’ varied bowling attack struggled to pose a threat, setting a daunting task for the Caribbean team going into day two.

Reflecting on his performance, Ashwin commented on the pitch conditions, noting that it started to turn slowly as the day progressed. He emphasized the importance of adapting and continuously striving for improvement in international cricket.

Ashwin’s impactful day began with the dismissal of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and an unfortunate miscue from Brathwaite. These early breakthroughs set the tone for a disappointing batting display by the West Indies.

Despite the wickets tumbling around him, Athanaze showcased his shot-making ability but fell just short of a half-century when he attempted a pull shot off Ashwin, resulting in a simple catch for Shardul Thakur at mid-on. His partnership of 41 runs with Jason Holder was the most substantial of the West Indies’ innings.

Mohammed Siraj also made his mark, taking a stunning leaping catch at mid-off to dismiss Jermaine Blackwood right before lunch, thanks to Jadeja’s bowling. Thakur contributed to India’s success by claiming a wicket in the morning session, dismissing Raymon Reifer with a low catch taken by debutant wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan.

Kishan’s wicket-keeping skills, however, appeared somewhat untidy when standing up to the spinners. This has raised questions about the decision to omit the incumbent gloveman Srikar Bharat.

In the final over of the day, Jaiswal confidently executed a reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, earning a boundary and emphasizing India’s dominance.

With such a commanding performance on day one, India has made a clear statement of intent heading into day two of the Test match.

India is set to face Australia at The Oval, vying to be crowned Test world champions for the first time.

In their previous Test match at the same venue in 2021, India opted to exclude Ashwin from the playing XI, despite his exceptional record of 474 wickets at an average of 23.93 in 92 matches. Instead, they chose to field spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja alongside four seamers, resulting in a 157-run victory over England.

Both Ashwin and Jadeja are part of India’s 15-man squad for the WTC final.

Regarding the team combination, Rohit responded with a smile during a pre-match press conference, “In terms of the combination, it’s better we wait until tomorrow—that’s a common answer, I think.”

Early-season pitches in England typically do not offer much assistance to spinners, and Rohit noted that the pitch at The Oval, along with the overhead conditions, appeared to favor seam bowlers.

“When we played the last Test match here at The Oval, it looked very similar to this, and then as the game went on, it got better and better, slower and slower, and then the reverse swing came into play on the fifth day,” he explained. “We are going to consider all those factors.”

The upcoming match marks the second edition of the WTC final, with India having previously lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in the inaugural final in Southampton in 2021.

Rohit emphasized the team’s determination to learn from their mistakes in the previous final, stating, “The last time we played (in the final), we made a few mistakes, which we’ve already spoken about in this group. It’s a good challenge to have, and we know exactly what went wrong for us in the last Championship final, so hopefully, we won’t repeat those kinds of things.”

Australia, who will continue their stay in England for a five-match Ashes series, possess an impressive pace attack led by captain Pat Cummins. However, India has emerged victorious in their last four Test series against Australia, including a 2-1 triumph on home soil earlier this year.

“We’ve played against the opposition quite a bit in the last two or three months, so we know what they are capable of…the next five days will be quite challenging for us,” Rohit acknowledged.

It has been a decade since India’s last major International Cricket Council tournament win—the 50-over World Cup in 2013. Rohit expressed his desire to win titles and participate in extraordinary series but also emphasized the importance of not putting too much pressure on the team by overthinking such matters.