"Rahul Dravid puts great emphasis on preparation" - Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of West Indies Tests
Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin explained why Team India have reached the West Indies almost two weeks prior to the two teams' two-match Test series.
Ashwin spoke about how important it is for them to prepare and acclimatize in the Caribbean conditions. He credited head coach Rahul Dravid for ensuring that the team always follows a strong process and feels it is one of the reasons why India have been consistently successful in Tests of late.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Ashwin had to say about the upcoming Test series against the West Indies:
"We have come early for a 10-day window for our preparation to get rid of the jet lag. Our coach Rahul Dravid puts great emphasis on preparation. If we can take care of the preparation, the rest will take care of itself."
Ravichandran Ashwin on new names in the Indian team
Ravichandran Ashwin also shed light on some of the fresh faces in the Indian Test squad and how exciting it will be for the fans to see them showcase their talent. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar are among the new names on their roster for the West Indies series.
He also expects Mukesh and Jaydev Unadkat to be a part of the transition in the pace bowling department. On this, Ashwin stated:
"There are a lot of new and exciting faces in the Indian camp. We have Mukesh Kumar and I feel Jaydev Unadkat will get a good run in the series. It is a very exciting time for Indian cricket."
Team India is currently in Barbados for a preparatory camp after which they will travel to Dominica for the first Test.
India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.