Rohit Sharma opens up on Ravichandran Ashwin playing against Australia

For the first time since the 2015 World Cup, Ravichandran Ashwin might get to play an ODI World Cup game. In 2017, after the Champions Trophy final, the team moved on from him and Ravindra Jadeja. For a good part of two years, the team had faith in the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the spin-bowling department.

However, after the game against England in the 2019 event, the pair was broken. Jadeja was added alongside Chahal. After the 2019 semifinal loss against New Zealand, the team came up with a new theory. Thanks to Jadeja’s near-match-winning innings, the team started believing in having a number eight player who could bat well. The likes of Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Washington Sundar have batted at this position.

Last year, during the T20 World Cup 2022, Ashwin did the same job with Harshal Patel losing his bowling form. Meanwhile, ahead of the India vs Australia game in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, Ashwin might get to play. Apparently, the surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium might tempt Rohit Sharma to go with three spinners.

We can play Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya together: Rohit Sharma

Meanwhile, during the pre-match presser, the right-hander said that the team combination is such that they can play three seamers and as many seamers. He spoke in the context of Hardik Pandya and Ashwin’s bowling skills. Not to forget, both are decent batters.

“That’s the luxury we have where we can afford to play three spinners.”

“So that gives us an advantage and that luxury of playing three spinners and three seamers as well.”

Sharma also spoke about the ODI game against Australia in March this year. In that game, Australia won by a fair margin

“Hopefully, we shouldn’t repeat that mistake that we made in that game in March.”