NEW ZEALAND leg spinner Adithya Ashok, who was born in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, says he is ready to use his understanding of Indian conditions in the three-match ODI series against India, starting in Baroda on Sunday (11).
The 23-year-old spent a few weeks at the Chennai Super Kings academy last year, where he gained a basic understanding of Indian pitches.
Ashok moved to New Zealand from Vellore with his family when he was four-years-old and is the latest player of Indian-origin to represent the Black Caps.
He remains closely connected to his roots in Tamil Nadu. He shared a strong bond with his grandfather and has a Tamil tattoo on his bowling arm that reads “En vazhi thani vazhi” (my way is a unique way), a line from a Rajinikanth film he watched with his grandfather.
Last year’s visit to India was important for Ashok as he trained at the CSK Academy in Chennai. He learned about the behaviour of different pitch types, including red soil and black soil surfaces, which differ from the pace-friendly conditions he usually bowls on in New Zealand.
Facing players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Ashok hopes that experience will help him.
“I was very fortunate to get the chance to train in Chennai. I’m grateful to New Zealand Cricket for sending me there,” Ashok said during a virtual media interaction on Thursday (8).
“We worked closely with Sriram Krishnamurthy. I learned how pitches behave and how to plan against batters. It gives you a base understanding, not a guarantee, but it helps.”
Ashok said the experience allowed him to build knowledge he can draw on during matches.
Shane Warne remains Ashok’s main role model, but he also looks to fellow New Zealand leg spinners Ish Sodhi and Tarun Nethula for guidance. He described Sodhi as a senior figure and said Nethula has been a mentor.
Former New Zealand spinner Paul Wiseman has also supported Ashok, especially during his recovery from a back injury that required surgery.
Ashok said playing ODIs in the country of his birth would add to his experience as he continues to grow as an international cricketer.
(PTI)
