New DelhiThe Indian team’s preparations for the second Test are in full swing. One person in particular sweats profusely on the field, his name is R. Ashwin. Ashwin was badly beaten in Bangalore and got just one wicket. It happens very rarely when India plays a series at their home ground and Ashwin fails. But that happened in Bangalore and Team India lost the Test. The challenge for Ashwin now is to prove himself in Pune.

Earlier in 2019, Ashwin had gotten just 1 wicket in the home Test match against Bangladesh. In this Test match, Ashwin bowled only 5 overs as the fast bowlers dominated the field. But Ashwin also bowled a lot in Bangalore but he was no less than a shocker for Ashwin who has taken five wickets in an innings 35 times in Test cricket.

Challenge to stop Rachin Ravindra

From the way Rachin Ravindra played against Ashwin in Bangalore, one thing is clear: although Ashwin has dismissed more than 250 left-handed batsmen, things will not be easy for him in Pune. In Bangalore, Rachin bowled a total of 95 spin balls and scored 101 runs, with Ashwin scoring 35 runs off 30 balls. Rachin has also become a challenge for Ashwin as he makes better use of his footwork. In Bangalore, Rachin scored a total of 173 runs, including 112 runs on the front foot. Rachin scored 22 runs by coming out of the crease.

Ashwin needs confidence

The problem for a spin bowler becomes greater when the batsman in front has excellent footwork in addition to hitting sweep shots. In such a situation, the more Ashwin can prevent the ball from spinning in the air, the more effective it will be. During today’s training session, Ashwin was seen practicing single-wicket bowling for a long time, working for a long time to add flight and loop to the ball. This hard work by Ashwin also shows that the challenge is big and his overcoming this challenge is equally important.

Tags: India vs New Zealand, Rashwin, Rohit Sharma, Team India, Virat Kohli