Ashwin steps up preparation ahead of Tests

R Ashwin, who was the most effective of India's bowlers on day two of the tour match against the CA Chairman's XI in Canberra, has said that he has worked on his strategy ahead of the Test series.

"You have to spin it; for the few days of a Test, I don't expect the ball to turn," Ashwin told PTI. "It has to be in the air [have flight], and later [in the Test you can] exploit the rough. For the left-handers you attack the stumps and for the right-hander bowl outside the off-stump."

"I have been speaking to a few umpires and they say it spins on day four and five. But I have to look at the match as a whole, keep spinning and flighting the ball, and hoping the batsmen would attack me. Later, probably, if I could sit down with Shane Warne and chat with him [it would help]."

Ashwin picked up four of the seven wickets the Indians claimed on the second day, while reducing the Chairman's XI to 215 for 7. He said that he had expected the batsmen to be more aggressive against him. "I was very surprised that they were not attacking me. I bowled a few bad balls, I wasn't hit for a six. I am always prepared to be hit for a few sixes anyway."

His victims included centurion Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Tom Cooper and Alex Doolan. He particularly enjoyed Doolan's dismissal, he said. "It [the delivery] didn't have much of spin but it just bounced a bit more. The catch belonged to Ajinkya Rahane … I haven't seen such a good catch for a long time." Doolan was caught at forward short leg for a duck.