Kolkata: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who had a memorable debut for Worcestershire in the County Championship has now been voted as the “Division 2 Player of the Week.”
Ashwin, playing his debut County match against Gloucestershire displayed fine off-spin bowling skills as he scalped three wickets in the first innings and bettered his figures in the second innings with a five-wicket haul that helped his team register a comfortable 189-run win.
After the County Championship on it’s official Twitter handle had initiated a poll asking the people to choose the Division 2 Player of the Week, unsurprisingly, it was Ashwin who won with 35 per cent votes to his name. Former England T20-World Cup winning captain Paul Collingwood too got an equal percentage of votes for his hundred for Durham in their win over Derbyshire. But at the end it was Ashwin, who was adjudged the best.
“Wow, it came down to just a few votes, but your Div Two Player of the Week is @ashwinravi99! Probably due to deliveries like this,” read the tweet in the official Twitter handle of County Championship.
Ashwin, for long has received a lot of flak for his performances in overseas conditions and perhaps that’s the reason why he chose to join County cricket for a while to improve on his bowling in England.
He has always been one of India’s main bowlers and with performances like these in overseas conditions, the Indians would surely fancy their chances when they play England next year in the month of July.
England to host India in July 2018
The Indian team would tour England in July 2018, as confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday.
The tour would kick-off with three T20I’s, which would be followed by a three-match ODI series. At the end, a five-match Test series would be contested between these two sides at Edgebaston, Lord’s, Trent Bridge, the Rose Bowl and The Oval.
ECB CEO Tom Harrison said, according to a press release, “A five-Test series against India is at the heart of next summer’s international programme.”
This would be the only second time that India would participate in a five-match Test series in England since 1959. The Indians are currently ranked no. 1 in the format.
Here is the schedule-
July 3: 1st T20, Old Trafford
July 6: 2nd T20, Sophia Gardens
July 8: 3rd T20, County Ground
July 12: 1st ODI, Trent Bridge
July 14: 2nd ODI, Lord’s
July 17: 3rd ODI, Headingley
August 1-5: 1st Test, Edgbaston
August 9-13: 2nd Test, Lord’s
August 18-22: 3rd Test, Trent Bridge
August 30-September 3: 4th Test, Rose Bowl
September 7-11: 5th Test, The Oval