After being named in the squad for the clash against Somerset, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his delight, stating that it is a privilege for him to be playing for Surrey. Surrey’s season has tilted, with the draw against Hampshire putting them in a tough spot.
Surrey’s County season started in a rather precarious manner, with two losses out of their first three County games this season, which put them in a tough spot with the rest of the fixtures. While since then they have had two losses, the four draws elsewhere, against Leicestershire, Somerset, Middlesex and Hampshire, have made their qualification to the first division tough.
The county also had a tough time on the field, with injuries, as Australian all-rounder Sean Abbott was earlier ruled out of the season, after injuring his hamstring against Gloucestershire. While it was expected that New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson would walk into the setup as a charm, he suffered a glute injury, which has then put the club in a tough spot.
However, they were blessed with a piece of good news, after Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin agreed to be part of the setup for just the one encounter, against Somerset, their last fixture this season. Ahead of his appearance for the London-based club, Ashwin stated that he is both delighted and privileged to be playing for Surrey, who are currently led by the English opener Rory Burns.
“I am so privileged to be having the badge on. I have heard and wondered what the London counties are all about. It is my absolute privilege to be playing for Surrey. Even though it’s only for a game, I am delighted to share this dressing room after being in the away dressing room with India for a long time. Oval is a wonderful ground and it has a rich heritage and sharing the dressing room, especially with Hashim Amla,” Ashwin said in a video shared by Surrey.
Ashwin’s form with the red-ball would come in handy for the county, which has struggled to come up with wins in the season on a consistent basis. After earlier representing Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire, Ashwin would return to the County, with his third club, representing Surrey.
Surrey’s 13-man squad vs Somerset: Rory Burns (Captain), Hashim Amla, R Ashwin, Jordan Clark, Rikki Clarke, Ben Geddes, Conor McKerr, Daniel Moriarty, Jamie Overton, Ryan Patel, Jamie Smith, Mark Stoneman, Amar Virdi.
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