Ravichandran Ashwin has spoken about how the arrival of a superstar such as Virat Kohli has reinstated world interest in the current ODI series against Australia. The comeback of Indian cricket’s elder two members Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after a seven-month gap has once again brought new vigor to the 50-over format, with enthusiasts and experts keenly following each moment of the high-profile encounter.
Though both the veterans had a subdued day in the rain-hit first ODI at Perth. Rohit could score only eight runs from 14 balls, while Kohli got out without opening his account after facing eight deliveries. Repeated rain stoppages again disturbed India’s innings and saw the visitors lose to Australia by seven wickets and gift the visitors an early series advantage.
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“Virat Kohli’s marketing is very important for the game and for himself. There is not much of a welcome for ODI series these days so how else will you sell it? The highest sellable factor is the return of Rohit and Virat. So that has been sold. After that they also become the talking point. It is difficult to go and straight away and perform. They have not played any cricket, no match practice. The stands might be filled in Adelaide and they may also fail again, that is the nature of the game,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Looking back at their resurgence, Ashwin pointed out how their presence alone brings the level of any series up by converting even a run-of-the-mill bilateral series into an international talking point. He also saluted the challenge of coming back into form straight from a long layoff, pointing out that even the greatest players take time to get into groove.
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“At this point of time don’t let them feel the pressure. Let them enjoy. Because you have to get the best out of them. They should be relieved of any kind of pressure on them,” he said.
Ashwin urged the fans to decrease their expectations and let the senior players play freely, adding that there’s no use creating too much pressure as it only affects performance. With the action moving to Adelaide for Thursday’s second ODI, India will be keen to recover and keep the series going, while Australia will seek to seize their early initiative and wrap up the mat
