Indian man to assist Lord's chief curator during Ashes

Ashwin Tumu will help Mike Hunt to prepare Lord's wicket for second Test between England and Australia

Cricket fans the world over are engrossed in the Champions Trophy at the moment. But for many of them, that’s just a prelude to the bigger battle that lies in store when England and Australia clash for the Ashes.

Lord’s cricket ground (inset) Ashwin Tumu, Indian curator. Pic/Getty Images

And for those followers seeking an Indian presence when the hosts try to outsmart the Aussies, there’s something to look forward to. Indian curator Ashwin Tumu will be preparing the wicket for the second Test at Lord’s starting July 18.

It’s a dream come true for Tumu who pursued odd jobs in England before finally managing to impress the Lord’s chief curator Mike Hunt.u00a0“I was in England five years ago and tried desperately to meet the chief curator Mr Hunt. He was impressed by my enthusiasm and gave me an opportunity to assist him,”
said Tumu.

“This was a huge responsibility for me and thankfully I have not let him down. He trusts my work and as a result, I will be preparing the track for the second Test against Australia.”

Tumu first went to England eight years ago and worked in a few shops. But cricket was his calling and he wanted to be associated with it in any
capacity.

“I am a die-hard cricket lover and would spend a lot of time on the grounds in my home town, Hyderabad. I wanted to do the same when I came to England and I am living a dream right now.”

To get a hang of English ways, Tumu spent considerable time witnessing club and county games. Once he was comfortable, he went about offering his services to clubs who obliged happily.

“I was working on small grounds and prepared about 20 wickets for club level matches. Once I was confident of my ability, I began dreaming about working at Lord’s,” Tumu observed.

Speaking about the fierce contest that is generally associated with the rivals, Tumu believed England have an upper hand. “England are number one in the world rankings, so they start favourites. On the other hand, Australia have been struggling, so they will find it difficult here.” u00a0

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