As India prepare for a challenging tour of New Zealand, featuring five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes the hosts’ formidable seam attack and familiarity with home conditions will pose a stern test for the visitors. In an exclusive interview with Amit Chaudhary, Ashwin weighs in on India’s prospects, the questions surrounding their pace-bowling resources and the challenges that lie ahead. He also makes a strong case for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at the 2027 ODI World Cup, stressing that the experience and pedigree of the two veterans could prove invaluable when the pressure is at its peak. Excerpts:
How important is this series for India, considering that they are fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, and also there is an ODI World Cup next year?
I think keeping the WTC in mind itself is a wrong approach because the team has gone through quite a lot; it has been in transition. They gave a decent account of themselves in England. And then we had a couple of tough home series [India lost 0-3 vs New Zealand and 0-2 vs South Africa]. These are terrains that are generally very difficult for most teams. But India has got enough talent to bounce back out of these situations.
It will be a very challenging tour. We need to win both the Tests to keep our chances alive in the WTC table. And to me, if India can come away with a positive result, it will be quite remarkable because even one Test win would be a success for India. If they win two, it will be remarkable.
This is probably the biggest and most exciting series that India are going to be playing this year. Seeing the Indian Test team on New Zealand shores is very exciting for me as a cricket fanatic and a fan of the game.
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The ODI series will also shed a lot of light on our fast bowling resources. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is making a comeback in the T20 setup. So, I think there will be eyes on him as to how he's going to go about his business and where his fitness is at. So there are a lot of interesting storylines for us.
Our fast bowling reserve alongside Jasprit Bumrah needs to be shored up for the next 10 months. So it will be very interesting to watch. Lots of talking points, and a lot of players will be under the microscope.
Very few players in this side have the experience of playing Test cricket in New Zealand. Is India’s biggest challenge in New Zealand the conditions or their own inexperience?
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No, look, I think inexperience is a word that's loosely used, and I don't think it's very pertinent these days because the current generation of players play a lot of cricket and there have been a lot of series on which they've toured [New Zealand]. For example, before the last Australian tour, India were on an ‘A’ tour there. We consistently have these exchange tours, which make sure that the players have a lot more exposure than they ever had before. Having toured those places, they will have first-hand experience in terms of what to expect.
So, the shadow tours will make a lot of difference. And even on this tour, they is going to be an ‘A’ tour before they get into their Test series. And most of the batters will have experience of having played in those conditions.
The old adage about having inexperienced players in these conditions doesn't really make sense nowadays.
But that said, coming up against an experienced New Zealand side will be where the challenge lies. New Zealand's got a very, very good seam attack. If I am on the Indian team management side, I'd be watching very closely how Matt Henry progresses. He's had some injury challenges in the past. And if Henry is going to be in prime condition and fit for this series, New Zealand will have a very, very potent seam attack.
Wellington will be a very interesting challenge for India to take on in the Test matches. Whereas, in the white-ball leg, I expect the wickets to be really flat, with a little bit of seam movement early on. And that's where India will have a lot to think about with respect to how their seam attack looks.
In their last eight Tests, India have lost to New Zealand six times, including the WTC final and a 3-0 sweep at home. Does this recent record put psychological pressure on India?
New Zealand don’t just have a psychological edge over India. I think they start this Test series as favourites. They've been a quality side. Apart from travelling to Australia, they've travelled reasonably well and successfully against most of the other teams. Australia have been the Achilles' heel for New Zealand when it comes to travelling for Test series. I think the pace and bounce really get to them. But in New Zealand conditions, where there is a bit of nibble [off the pitch], they have a fair amount of understanding of how to go about pacing a game and how exactly to maintain the ball to get the best out of those surfaces. Those are the things that will really give New Zealand the edge.
From what you have seen of Prasidh Krishna, do you think he is suited to the role of third seamer in New Zealand?
I think Prasidh has done reasonably well. He had a good series in Sri Lanka as well as in England. His lengths have gotten slightly fuller. The challenge for Prasidh is to stay fit and be able to get through Test series for India. I don't think breaking down in between really helps his or the team's cause in any way. So, keeping him on the park will also be the medical team's job. And along with that, Prasidh will have to find a way to keep himself on the park for longer durations because he's a very talented fast bowler. We'll have to give him time to see how well he starts yielding results for the team.
With Bumrah, Siraj and other seam options available, do you think India should play with four seamers or does the balance of the side still require a spinner?
Too early to make those calls because conditions can change quite rapidly. But if you look at what's happened in Wellington, there has been a bit of bounce and turn on offer for the spinner. A few years ago, Glenn Phillips got a lot of wickets there (5 for 45 in 2024). Nathan Lyon got a lot of wickets there (4 for 43 and 6 for 65 in the same match). Spinners have picked up wickets at Wellington. There is a good amount of breeze, bounce and turn. In fact, I played a Test match there and quite enjoyed bowling in that game as well. I got a three-for in the first innings. So, I think there is a role for a spinner there.
But having said that, if Jadeja is going to walk into the top six of that batting line-up, then they would probably tell themselves that's a good enough resource to go in with. However, Jadeja is pretty flat through the air. He bowls a lot of side spin. To extract more off the surface in Wellington, you will need somebody who will bowl overspin, which, to me, has to be Manav Suthar. He bowls lovely overspin and can cause a lot of problems. The thing is, with New Zealand, there is a lot of grass on the surface, but that counts for little when there is a little bit of bounce and turn, which Wellington will offer.
The other one [Christchurch] might not offer much in terms of spin, so India will have to watch out for the conditions.
So, you don’t expect Kuldeep Yadav to play?
Looking at how Kuldeep's been used by this team management, I'd be very surprised if Kuldeep plays that game. Even in Sri Lanka, I think he missed out on that second Test, which he should ideally have played, in my books. When he can't find himself in the eleven in subcontinental conditions, I don't see any reason why he will find a place in that team [in New Zealand], where they would value 15-20 runs from a lower-order batter. Suthar and Jadeja will probably get the go-ahead, and it will be interesting to see how India makes that call because Washington Sundar has also given them something with the bat. So, we will have to keep our fingers crossed. I think decision-making sometimes hasn't been quite spot-on with respect to the Test team.
What are your thoughts on giving Nitish Reddy the role of the fifth bowler in the New Zealand Tests?
I would much rather Harshit Rana were fit. Nitish Reddy, in the recent ODI series, also didn't clock high speeds and, for some strange reason, be it injuries or a lack of continuity, the Nitish Reddy that came onto the scene in the 2024 Australia tour (scored a hundred in Melbourne) hasn't really progressed at the speed that one would like to see. So, I'm not sure where Nitish stands with respect to that particular role. But I'm sure he will be on the tour, and if he is, he will be considered for that spot.
India have a lot of options, and we hardly know which way they will go because they've been quite unpredictable in the Test format. So, with Washington and Nitish, we'll have to wait and see how that particular move goes. If they are going to go by the data, they will probably say, ‘There is a bit of spin; let's go with Washi.’ But at this stage, seeing how Nitish has been bowling and not making too many runs with the bat, I'd be very surprised if he gets a go first up.
Rohit Sharma will be 40 and Virat Kohli almost 39 by the time the 2027 World Cup arrives. How do you assess the value of having someone like them in a World Cup dressing room?
Experience is something that you can't replace or buy from a shop. It has to be acquired over a period of time. There is a certain amount of pedigree that you hold when you're Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, for that matter. You've been there and done that; you've got experience, and you've been a match-winner. That cannot be replaced. So, having that sort of experience is going to be invaluable for the team. Virat, as well, has had a great time in South Africa in the white-ball format before. Rohit's been in great form. He's again showing some lovely touch. So, with all that, I think India have the aces up their sleeve when they have them in the dressing room because, when it comes to crunch time, it is experience that will hold you in good stead. So, it is invaluable to have their experience. The fact that, at some stage, it was being questioned whether they should be on the tour or not just blows my mind. I think they both have a mission at hand, and they will try not to leave any page unturned before going about this mission.