London: English county Surrey may have hired Indian off-spinner R Ashwin for the County Championship match against Somerset, but their joy on seeing him struggle ahead of the five-Test series was quite evident on social media.
The 34-year-old premier spinner, who was player-of-the-series with 32 wickets in the four home Tests against England in February-March, bagged just one wicket in 43 overs he bowled against Somerset in a County Championship match.
The Surrey county couldn't resist laughter.
"(emoticon: laughing face with open mouth and cold sweat) No breakthrough yet today," tweeted the county team from its official handle.
Ashwin had opened the bowling and got the wicket of Tom Lammonby in the 40th over of the match, beating his defences and rattling his stumps. But that wicket came on Sunday. His Monday's outing was barren.
In the World Test Championship final against New Zealand last month, he picked up 4/45 runs as India lost the Test.
But it is unlikely that the performance on Sunday and Monday will give him any confidence.
The Indian team, who are on a three-week break, will undergo a camp from July 15 at Durham.
They have been struggling to get a warm-up match against a county team.
