Last Updated: July 05, 2023, 3:45 PM IST
Ravichandran Ashwin (left) with Sir Gary Sobers. (Pic Credit: IG/rashwin99)
R Ashwin was in his training kit and was all smiles as he stood beside the cricketing icon
India start their ICC World Test Championship campaign with a two-match series against West Indies. During the tour, India will also play three ODIs and five T20Is.
A week before the first Test in Dominica, ace offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin posed for a pic with West Indies great Sir Garfield Sobers who met with several India cricketers on Tuesday.
Ashwin was in his training kit and was all smiles as he stood beside the cricketing icon.
“With the great man. Sir Gary Sobers,” Ashwin wrote while sharing the photo with the iconic cricketer.
“These venues in the Carribean bring back memories of all those Indian tours I tuned into in the 90’s and early 2000’s. I met Sir Viv at Antigua last time and this time I had the honour of meeting Sir Gary at his own back yard “The Kensington oval”. Truly blessed,” he added.
The fans were quick to acknowledge the presence of two cricketing legends.
Garfield Sobers is one of the greatest ever allrounders to play Test cricket. He scored 8032 runs in 93 matches and also took 235 wickets.
Ashwin has scalped 474 wickets in 92 Tests and is India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Anil Kumble in the format.
Ashwin is a quality batter too having scored 3129 runs and five centuries in Tests.
A few of them also pointed out that Ashwin looks fit and will be raring to go against the West Indies.
Ashwin wasn’t picked for India’s World Test Championship final against Australia and the champion spinner will certainly try to make an impression in the Caribbean.
Ashwin recently congratulated his new teammates Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad after they were given a maiden Test call up for the West Indies tour.
Ashwin’s non-inclusion in the starting line-up for the WTC final did raise eyebrows as India lost by a massive margin.
As per India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, the decision was made based on the prevailing weather conditions. The Oval remained cold and overcast while receiving abundant sunshine in the afternoon over the few days before the final.
Hence, the coaching staff felt India would benefit much more from a seamer rather than a spinner like Ashwin.
Things did not go as planned as India went on to lose the game by 209 runs marking their back-to-back defeat in the finals of the ICC Test Championship.
