Daily Times

NEW DELHI: Ace India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will prolong his stay in England after the upcoming Test series as he will play for county side Worcestershire once again. The 31-year-old had a brief stint with the team last season and will play in their final two Championship games in 2018. Last year Ashwin performed well for Worcestershire and picked up 20 wickets in four game. He made an impact with the bat too, averaging 42.50. “We are delighted to have Ashwin coming back for what could be a key part of the season,” Worcestershire’s chief executive, Matt Rawnsley, said. “He is one of the best spinners in world cricket and the influence he had when here last season cannot be underestimated.

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“The lads all speak so highly of him, the impact he had on the field and the way he slotted in so well off the pitch and he was willing to offer advice to our young spinners like Ben Twohig.” Ashwin will also be available for team’s trip to Essex from September 18. Lying at the bottom of the table, Worcestershire are looking to avoid a relegation to Division Two for the third time in 10 years. “Ashwin is world class and he loved it at Worcestershire,” head coach Kevin Sharp said. “Conversations have been ongoing about him coming back and I’m sure he will be a great fillip for us. He had a massive input for us on and off the field last summer in helping us gain promotion and he is a high class individual.” The fastest bowler to 300 Test wickets, Ashwin is country’s leading spinner and has been crucial to India’s success in the longest format of the game. Out of the limited overs team for quite some team now, Ashwin has joined the Test team for their warm-up match against Essex at Chelmsford, starting on Wednesday.

Published in Daily Times, July 24^th 2018.