R Ashwin very much part of India's ODI team: Bharat Arun

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin takes part in a practice session at Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on July 24 2017 India will play three Tests five oneday internationals and a Twenty20 game in Sri Lanka The first Test starts on July 26 in Galle PicAFPIndias bowling coach Bharat Arun on Tuesday quashed suggestions that offspinner Ravichandran Ashwins oneday career is on the downswing saying the latter remains a vital cog in the national squadThe 30yearold who is ranked second in Tests has found it difficult to sustain a similar ranking in the limitedovers formatAshwins dip in form in ODIs has led many to suggest that it could be an end of the road for the offspinner who has played 15 of Indias 37 ODIs since the 2015 World CupIndian Cricket teams bowling coach Bharat Arun during a practice session ahead of the second ODI against Sri Lanka at cricket stadium in Kandy Sri Lanka on Tuesday PicPTIHowever Arun who was speaking on the sidelines of Indias optional practice session considered Ashwin to be a very talented and skillful bowlerHe is an extremely talented bowler and even if you look at his last ODI which he played in the West Indies he got 3 for 28 Ashwin is very very skillful Arun saidIndia who will play second ODI against Sri Lanka on Thursday in Pallekele had earlier left Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the ongoing fivematch series due to the Board of Control for Cricket in Indias rotation policyArun admitted that although they want to give a lot of opportunities to other bowlers Ashwin still remains an important part of the ODI sideI dont want to look at what has happened so far But definitely yes Ashwin is also part of the ODI team we are looking at We would also like to give a lot of opportunities to other bowlers and then we have a longterm plan in place After that well take a call the bowling coach saidBesides Ashwin and Jadeja Shardul Thakur has also been rested for the ODI series with frontline pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack Meanwhile Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami were dropped for the Test series which India went on to clinch by 30With India all set to tour South Africa England and Australia next year Arun insisted that it is important to manage the workload of the bowlers so that they could perform at their menacing bestIt is important that we monitor the workload of the bowlers So its not only in practice but also what they do in the matches you take into account You keep their workloads to an ideal so that they are in an ideal performance state all the time Thats the key to doing it he saidAsserting that injury is a part and parcel of fast bowling the bowling coach said that their side are focussing heavily on their fitness so that the bowlers continue to perform well and remain injuryfree for a longer period of timeInjury is an inherent part of fast bowling and yes there were quite a few bowlers who were injured But we have a great support system I guess 50 percent of fast bowling depends on your fitness and the other 50 percent is skill So to bowl fast over a period of time you have to be extremely fit Thats one thing which we are emphasizing on Arun said