Former India off-spinner R Ashwin reckons the upcoming five-match ODI series in New Zealand will be a litmus test for India ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup. India will begin the NZ tour with five T20Is from October 22, followed by five ODIs from November 4. The ICC ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October and November next year.

“I think it’s probably one of the closest that we might get to the ODI World Cup next year. It will be a real litmus test for the Indian team to go to New Zealand at this stage. New Zealand have a really good seam attack. It is probably the closest we will get because most of the other series that we are playing are in the subcontinent. I know South Africa can have much steeper bounce and pace than New Zealand, but this is probably the closest litmus test that we might get,” Ashwin said during a select media interaction organised by Sony Sports Network on Friday.