New Delhi
Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he has found ways to break Steve Smith’s “good game plans” in many of his encounters over the last few years. He said that the net sessions during his time in the IPL also gave him insight on how to prepare against the Australian batsman.
The two legends are set to rekindle their rivalry in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series starting in Perth from November 22. The pair have been rivals in the Test arena since 2013, with the struggling Smith being dismissed twice by Ashwin at the start of the 2020-21 series. When Australia toured India in 2023, Smith was out twice to Ashwin and thrice to Ravindra Jadeja.
Ashwin said in an interview to 7Cricket, “Steve Smith is an excellent player against spin. He has his own unique technique, even against fast bowling. But with spin, I think he came with a great game plan, great preparation and yes, he executed it. And over the years I have found ways and means to break it.”
His time at Delhi Capitals, his time at Rising Pune Supergiants, all these net sessions that I have seen him do about his work, I really got to understand how he prepares and what he likes and What not? Ashwin said, “He is a very thoughtful cricketer. He wants to dominate you all the time. But they have very unique ways of practicing and unique ways of fighting with you in between. And sometimes, as a bowler, when you see the batsman going through his process you know whether you have got it or not.”
Smith is returning to the middle order in the Border-Gavaskar series, where he has returned to the No. 4 position after a brief spell as an opener. After the retirement of David Warner, the 35-year-old right-handed batsman opened the Test at number four, but he did not get much success and scored 171 runs at an average of 28.50. Ashwin, who took 536 Test wickets in 105 Test matches, has reached Australia after losing to the spinners of New Zealand on Indian soil.
Meanwhile, the Indian legend is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the World Test Championship with 194 wickets in 40 matches between 2019-2024 “And in these years of playing with Steve Smith, there were times when I felt that he was over me. Have become. But many times, much later, when I thought I understood what he did or how he batted, I went ahead of him. “I have performed better than him,” Ashwin said. Overall, Ashwin has taken 536 wickets in 105 matches so far at an average of less than 24, which places him second in India’s all-time Test wicket-taking list, behind only the legendary Anil Kumble, who has taken 619 wickets. .
