India vs Australia | Motivated and want to win the series for my team, asserts Khaleel Ahmed

The Indian team management’s endeavour to add variety to the Indian pace attack by adding that elusive left-arm pacer who can fill in the void left by Zaheer Khan seems to have bore fruit. Khaleel Ahmed has managed to impress one and all by his performance, though he has only played six games each in both the formats for India in limited overs cricket.

“I am motivated and want to win this series for my team. T20Is (against Australia) was a great experience. It was my maiden tour of Australia. Playing T20s was a big experience for me. It’s time for ODIs now. All I want to say is – I am ready. I will try to take as many wickets as I can for my team in ODIs,” Khaleel told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.

Ahmed, who has 17 wickets from 12 International matches, was fast-tracked to the Indian team to give the Indian pace attack a much-needed variety. The pacer on his part praised skipper Virat Kohli and stated that winning the ODI series in Australia would be icing on the cake after Test series win.

"We have got a great captain in Virat Kohli. He is motivating. We have already won the Test series in Australia. It was our maiden one and I am sure we will win many more in the future. I am sure we will win the ODI series as well. It will be the cherry on the cake,” the pacer said.

India and Australia will play a three-match ODI series which starts tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The pacer also explained that he has done his homework for the ODI series.

"I observed each Australian batsman and watched their videos. Australian conditions are very different. They have bouncy and fast tracks. You need to bowl full deliveries on these pitches. It requires a lot of effort. I got to learn a lot. Bowling with the new ball is a big responsibility. It means the captain is showing faith in you. I am ready to bowl with old or new ball and in any situation for my team," the youngster said.

The ICC Cricket World Cup is scheduled to start from May 30 in England later this year. But the "Tonk Express" has asserted that he is not thinking too ahead and is solely focused on his current duties.

"I am not thinking about the World Cup right now. I am focusing on my current performance. The captain and team management are the best judges, let them decide my future. For now, I am working really hard on my fitness. I want to remain fit for every single match India is scheduled to play," Khaleel signed off.