India will start their tour of England with white-ball matches where they will face the hosts in three T20Is and as many ODIs. The Virat Kohli-led men will then take on England in a five-match Test series starting from August 1.

The Indian team did not have a pleasant outing last time when they visited England for a Test series in 2014 as they were handed a 3-1 defeat. However, Ravichandran Ashwin, who picked up three wickets in two Tests during that series, is expecting his side to be successful this time after India’s last away series in South Africa.

“Our fast bowlers have done well in South Africa and we batted pretty well too. The kind of overall unit we have with the five bowlers, we always fancy our chances. Going into the second innings, the spinners are always going to come into play,” he said.

Ashwin featured in the county circuit last year and helped his team, Worcestershire, get promoted to division one. After taking a five-wicket haul on his debut for Worcestershire, Ashwin went on to scalp a total of 20 wickets in four games and also averaged 42.80 with the bat.

“I know what to expect in England, in terms of weather and pitches. Worcester’s home ground is New Road, which is a very difficult track to bowl on. I enjoyed my cricket there. I also bowled a lot with the duke ball during my stint. At this point in time, it’s not as difficult as bowling with the SG ball. So I think it should be fine,” Ashwin said.

The 31-year-old tried leg-spin in the IPL this year in a bid to enter the ranks of the wrist spinners, to keep pace with the competition. He returned to his regular bowling style in Afghanistan’s inaugural Test, where he got five wickets. However, his plans for the upcoming series remain undisclosed.