Ravichandran Ashwin - The Last Dance of the legend

October 1, 2023
12:33 AM

Ravichandran Ashwin, the bowler with the highest number of wickets taken by an Indian bowler in Test matches, has recently been making headlines in the sports journals, although this time for his last-minute inclusion into the Indian team for the ODI cricket world cup 2023, to be starting today.

Ashwin had been written off by the cricket pandits for getting another chance in the ODI arena, but as luck would have it, things turned dramatically in the Asia Cup.

Axar's injury - A wild card for Ashwin

In a not-so-significant match between India and Bangladesh, Axar Patel got hit on his arms twice, which proved devastating for him, but proved to be a blessing for Ashwin, as he was called as a replacement for Axar for the remaining Asia Cup and also the ODI series with Australia. He performed exceptionally with economical figures of 47/1 in the 1st ODI, 3/41 in the 2nd ODI, and thus proved that he is not just a Test match bowler, but also a specialist spinner for the white-ball format.

World Cup 2023 - Perfect stage for Ashwin

With the ODI World Cup 2023 being held in India, where the spinners are said to have an advantage as the pitches get older during the day, Ashwin can prove to be a great weapon in the Indian bowling arsenal. He has proved in crunch situations that he can maintain his composure and absorb the pressure to be able to give out his best, be it the final two deliveries he played and won us the match against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 world cup, or the winning final over bowled by him in the 2013 Champions Trophy final against England in England.

Can Ashwin mimic the great 2011 farewell of Sachin

The last ODI world cup in India, saw the great Sachin Tendulkar getting the most deserved farewell at his home ground, and it is only destiny that we now have a perfect setting to give a deserving parting gift to the spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin, with his last dance to glory, and another World Cup for India.

Also read: Ashwin’s career stats across all formats (Source : espncricinfo)