Get Ravichandran Ashwin back in ODIs: Brad Hogg

Brad Hogg has called for India to bring back off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to the ODI setup. Hogg reasoned that Ravichandran Ashwin's all-round skills will give the top order more leeway while bolstering the bowling at the same time.

Ravichandran Ashwin last played an ODI in June 2017. Soon after that year's Champions Trophy tournament - which India lost to Pakistan in the final - there was a paradigm shift in the team's spin-bowling setup.

India moved away from the Ashwin-Jadeja combination to a more aggressive option of wrist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Although Ravichandran Ashwin has performed well for his IPL teams in the last couple of years, India have stuck with younger spinners in white-ball formats.

After seeing Ravichandran Ashwin's brilliant all-round performance in the ongoing Test series against England, a fan on Twitter asked Brad Hogg for his opinion on the 35-year-old's comeback in international limited-overs cricket.

Hogg replied in the affirmative and called Ashwin a wicket-taker and a thrifty bowler.

"I think it is a great option, gives the batting line up extra depth allowing the top order to be more aggressive at the top and he is an wicket-taking option with the ball, as well as economical. Get him back in," said Hogg.

Ravichandran Ashwin has played 111 ODIs for India. He has 150 wickets to his name at a strike rate of 32.91 and a terrific economy rate of 4.92.

@ibrahim_3337 I think it is a great option, gives the batting line up extra depth allowing the top order to be more aggressive at the top and he is an wicket taking option with the ball, as well as economical. Get him back in. #INDvENG #Cricket https://t.co/FmChPGK8H2

— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) March 1, 2021

Calls to bring back Ravichandran Ashwin increased after his Chennai hundred

Ravichandran Ashwin has been at the peak of his powers in the last few month

Ravichandran Ashwin has looked at the peak of his powers in the last few months. He was one of India's best performers in Australia. Now against England at home, he is leading the wickets chart with 24 wickets from three games at 15.71.

However, it was Ashwin's recent outings with the bat that egged calls for his return to India's limited-overs setup. He salvaged an improbable draw for India in Sydney and followed it up with a brilliant, match-winning 106 in Chennai in the 2nd Test.

This has rekindled expectations from him as a solid batting option in the lower order - something which had feigned in the last few years. It remains to be seen if Ashwin can build on this by putting up consistent all-round performances in the coming days.