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Indian skipper Rohit Sharma feels Ravichandran Ashwin's lack of game time won't be a concern for him in their upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia.
With Axar Patel's recent injury just before the World Cup, the experienced spinner will have a chance to push his name in India's squad for the mega tournament. Ashwin barely has featured in the 50-over format, in the past six years he has featured in two ODI games for the Indian team. Rohit feels that Ashwin's lack of game time in the format won't be a concern as he has been representing the nation in the Test format. "With guys like Ashwin, game-time and time on the ground is not so much of a concern. Which is why we thought if he is an option for us, we need to get him in. With the kind of experience he has, for guys like him, it's all in the head more than the body. I thought getting him in could give is a chance to understand where he is at, how his body is and stuff like that," Rohit said in a press conference. "It's not like he has not been playing cricket for the last year or so. Yes, he hasn't played in this [ODI] format, but he played Test cricket recently in the West Indies, and if I'm not wrong, in the TNPL as well. Of course, there's no comparison but he has had some cricket there. The games against Australia will give us a chance to look at where he's at," Rohit added. The other concern for the Indian team has been Shreyas Iyer. The right-handed batter missed out the final couple of games for 'The Blues' in the Asia Cup due to back spasms. India's Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar shed some light on Iyer's injury and said that the batter at the moment is fit. "He has not picked up a stress fracture at the moment he is fit and that is why we have picked him he has worked incredibly hard for the past few months, he will have to go through these games he did pick up a niggle, at the moment he is fine," Agarkar said. India squad for first 2 ODI: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna India squad for final ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (Vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj. (ANI)
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