Ravichandran Ashwin has taken his game to next level: Virat Kohli

Ashwin missed out on the last four ODIs against South Africa recently due to an injury.

New Delhi: Ahead of the four-match Test series against South Africa, Indian skipper Virat Kohli praised R Ashwin, saying that the off-spinner has taken his game to the next level.

Speaking at a conference, Kohli said that Ashwin has been India's go-to man in the last two to three years and he wants to improve his performances overseas as well.

"For the last 2-3 years, he has been the go-to man. He has taken his game to the next level. He wants to improve while we play away from home as well which is very exciting for me as a captain. The way he bowled in Sri Lanka, he showed he is a match-winner. I am very delighted that we have someone like him in the team," Kohli said.

Ashwin missed out on the last four ODIs against the Proteas after being injured in the first game. In the T20 series, he troubled the South African batsmen, including AB de Villiers, with his variation.

Kohli also said that the young Indian team is looking to become the top-ranked Test side once again.

When asked about the recent controversy regarding home advantage, Kohli said that a lot is written about it when a team tours India. The 26-year-old reminded that when India play overseas, they always get to play under conditions which suits the home team but no fuss is made about it.