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Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about his ICC ODI World Cup 2023 campaign, where the Men in Blue suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final against Australia after a flawless campaign. Throughout CWC 2023, Team India made very few changes, out of which one was Ashwin missing out on a spot in the playing XI after the first game.
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Talking about his journey through the World Cup, Ashwin expressed disappointment in playing just one game and even reasoned that he was in good form after the opening game against Australia in Cheapuk. He also opened up about the possibility of returning to the playing XI in the New Zealand game as the replacement for Hardik Pandya.
"Never thought that my run at the World Cup would end after playing one match in Chennai, because I was bowling with good rhythm," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. " My return was supposed to come against New Zealand at Dharamsala, Hardik had a heartbreaking injury. Hardik Pandya was an important figure because we did not have an all-rounder to replace him," Ashwin further added.
Further in his video, R Ashwin praised Australian captain Pat Cummins, who outsmarted India with superior tactics. “What Pat Cummins did with the ball was also nothing short of extraordinary. To not have a mid-off, have a 4-5 field and bowl with such accuracy was remarkable,” Ashwin said.
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“I’ve never seen a fast bowler bowl to an off-spinner’s field and execute so perfectly, not bowling a single overpitched delivery. It was a tactical masterclass. Australia had us there. They were deserved winners,” the Indian off-spinner added.
