Ashwin not fazed by dull practice strips

Cape Town - India spin king Ravichandran Ashwin says that he enjoys the challenge of bowling at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

Ashwin wasn't too bothered by the practice pitches which were lifeless with balls not biting on the surface.

The spinner told BCCI.TV: "At this ground, it bounces a bit more at the centre wicket (match strip). The entire facility is great. It's a lush green outfield. 

This is a big ground for a spinner, you can toss up a bit more even in shorter version of the game. There is a little more hold on the wicket, the bounce gives you allowance to be imaginative. I enjoy bowling here."

Ashwin refused to write of their opponents Bangladesh who he feels are a quality team.

The tweaker said: "They are a quality side on the rise.

"They are coming from a tour of New Zealand and we all know that it is not easy to tour New Zealand."

Bangladesh lost all eight international matches in New Zealand but put in some encouraging performances with the bat including an all-time record partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib-al-Hasan with the latter scoring a double ton ending with a record score of 217.

Ashwin is the number one ranked Test bowler in the world after an incredible 2016 that saw him spin his way to the summit and earn a raft of awards.