Ashwin, who did not bowl in India’s first warm-up match against Western Australia on Monday, watched the England-Australia game here on Sunday with some of his teammates.
“Whatever happens in T20 and bilateral matches, we can come back home. It would be fair to say that bowlers are hitting around the park but we also need to understand that 30 yards are very close to the circle in India.
“When you come to Australia, the boundaries are huge, it gives the bowlers a license to work together. It’s also very important to know what lengths you have to bowl, so you have to take 50-50 of these options. Must be brave enough places,” Ashwin said after the game at the WACA ground.
India’s main team arrived here long before the ICC event, while the second team is facing South Africa in the ODI series at home.
Ashwin said that it was useless to come here early.
“It’s two weeks until the T20 World Cup and it’s an important event and we’re taking it seriously. We’re here to get used to it because we’ve never been in Australia during this time.
“So it was important that we get here early and get used to the pace and the bounce. There are some guys who are new to the team so it would be a good time for them to adapt.”
Talking about the practice game, he said: “Quite a good game of cricket and no matter how many times you come to Australia and England, it is very important that you complete those miles well in advance.
“By the time the first game comes, you have to get up and run and make sure that’s what the conditions are going to be.
Referring to the England-Australia match at the Optus Stadium, the shrewd spinner said, “Even after watching the match like yesterday, it is very important to understand how the game is being played in this part of the world.”
India has recently tasted a lot of success in Australia including winning back to back Test series. Ashwin said the team will gain confidence from this.
“Whatever you say when you have special memories in a particular place, you are going to be there completely supporting yourself.
“What happened last went our way but we also played some good white ball cricket on that leg. It’s something we can draw from. We’ve played a lot of cricket in Australia over the last decade.
“Everything put together we are looking at no better place than Perth for a quick adaptation and getting used to the Australian conditions, bounce and pace.”
India will play Pakistan 12 months after their first loss to arch-rivals in World Cup history. The face-off is still 12-1 in India’s favour, but the PCB chief recently said that the “billion dollar” Indian team has finally started respecting Pakistan as opponents.
“Until you said that, I didn’t know he made such a statement. It’s a way of dealing with it. But look, it’s a game of cricket, whatever the political tension, we don’t play that often.
“The rivalry is big. It means a lot to the people of both the countries but at the end of the day you understand as a player that winning and losing are part of the game…
“…especially in this format the margins are going to be so close and to respect an opposition is not something that comes with winning and losing, it gets in the way you become and we certainly Pakistan respect the side and so do they.”
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