England captain Joe Root has stated that his team will be preparing to tackle off spinner R Ashwin should India playing him in the upcoming Test match at The Oval.
Ashwin’s absence from the first three Tests has continued to spark a raging debate, with experts and cricketers constantly calling for his inclusion in the side. Now that the five-match series as moved to the Kennington Oval, the slowest pitch of the series, for the fourth Test, Virat Kohli may decide to finally bring him in.
Root, while acknowledging the class of Ashwin, stated that his side will be prepared.
“I think his records speak for himself. I think he is a world class player. We’ve seen him score runs and take wickets against us and we know what he is capable of in the Test arena. We’ll certainly be making sure that we’re prepared for the challenges that he poses coming into the Test match along with other combinations that they might throw at us,” Root told reporters ahead of the start of the Test on Tuesday.
“The credit needs to go to our bowling attack, Virat is a world-class player hence the credit needs to be given to the bowling group. We have been able to keep him quiet, it is an extremely good effort from our bowling group and it is something we have to continue if we have to win this series. We have found ways to get him out, he is a fine player and has done tremendous things in Test cricket, we will have to look at ways to get the best players out.
“Absolutely, world-class side like India led by Virat Kohli, I expect nothing less than a response. We would be naive to think otherwise, it is important that we do not get to deluded. We have gotten to the level playing field, we have to work harder now. If we find ourselves ahead of the game at any stage, we have to consolidate,” he added, as quoted by ANI.
