Gavaskar Challenges Ashwin to Unleash ‘Special Delivery’ on Smith as India vs Australia Rivalry Heats Up

Test series between India vs Australia are always intense due to the long-standing rivalry between the two teams. With the 2024 T20 World Cup now over, all eyes are on India’s upcoming tour of Australia for a five-match Test series. This series is highly anticipated, especially since Australia hasn’t beaten India in a Test series since 2015.

Sunil Gavaskar’s Experience and Insights

Sunil Gavaskar, who has faced some of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers like Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, knows the challenges of playing in Australia. He observed that the mind games, typical of an India-Australia series, have already started this year. Many former Australian players believe the series will be tightly contested, with some even claiming it could be the greatest of this century. However, they are confident Australia will win. Gavaskar expressed disappointment that no Indian players, apart from Ravi Shastri, have responded to these psychological tactics.

Gavaskar’s Suggestion for Ashwin

Gavaskar suggested that Ravichandran Ashwin could step up in this situation. He mentioned that Ashwin might tease a “special delivery” he’s working on for Steve Smith, assuming Smith continues to open the batting and survives Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling.

Preparing for the Tour

India’s first Test match in Australia is scheduled for November 1. Before that, India will host Bangladesh and New Zealand for a series of Tests. Key players like Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and captain Rohit Sharma are participating in domestic tournaments to prepare for these home series. Gavaskar believes that these five home Test matches will help the team mentally prepare for the challenging tour of Australia.

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