I would like to get back to being an attacking bowler: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin

Admitting that resorting to holding role on team's demand hasn't done him any good, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he is now planning to go back to being an attacking bowler, who tries to spin the ball hard, and get wickets.

On how he has planned to go about his role in the upcoming England tour, speaking to the Hindustan times, Ashwin said: "I had a chat with a couple of people who have done well in England. A few interesting things have come out of it. Bowling in a way that they have been doing takes practice. I need to see if it is working for me and find ways to take wickets."

Revealing that it was the team that needed him to do the restricting role at times, he said: "There have been times where the team wanted me to hold an end up, which is not my strength. I would like to get back to my strength and start spinning the ball really hard and get batsmen out. In terms of strategy, I have a couple in my mind which I'll be working on."

The 27-year-old has only taken 9 wickets in 4 overseas Tests so far at an average of 74.77, and Ravindra Jadeja is now being preferred ahead of him as the lone spinner in the longer format games away from home.

On being criticised publicly by his former bowling coach Sunil Subramaniam for his overseas failures, Ashwin said: "I think a coach must communicate with the player first. I don't know where we fell out. He was someone who was helping me. Whenever I needed help, I hired him. But with the tight international calendar, you don't get the time to go back to someone and the drawing board. I don't know where it comes from and you don't know who needs the publicity."