"Test Cricket Is...": R Ashwin's Staunch Take

Veteran Indian spin bowling allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin reenvisioned the beauty of Test cricket, calling it a pinnacle of the sport, in a video released by the BCCI on their official social media handle. The video gave glimpses of the team India's practice session in Bengaluru ahead of first Test against New Zealand, with a voice-over by Ashwin. The spinner said that in Test cricket, everyday players need to adapt to conditions and also come up with new strategies and approaches.

"See, Test cricket is always about adaptability, right? You can't start Day 5 like how you started Day 1. Every day you need to be able to adapt to the conditions. That's why they say Test cricket is the pinnacle of this particular sport," Ashwin said in the video.

After his Player of the Series performance in a 2-0 clean-sweep vs Bangladesh last month, Ashwin, who has 527 Test wickets to his name, will be back in action in the series against New Zealand, starting from Wednesday, with the opening match to take place in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

New Zealand had last visited India in 2021-22 for a two-match series that the hosts won 1-0. In the second Test against Wankhede, New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler after Jim Laker and India's Anil Kumble to take all 10 wickets in an innings.

India are currently on top of the World Test Championships (WTC) standings, while New Zealand, title-winners in 2021, are in sixth position. Rohit Sharma's side will be looking forward to consolidating its position in the WTC standings ahead of the all-important tour of Australia starting in November-January.

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