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ustralian batter Steve Smith has shared insights into his long-standing duels with India’s star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and discussed his approach for their upcoming encounters in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on home soil.
With both teams eyeing a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, the high-stakes series will begin with the first Test in Perth on November 22. For Australia, Smith’s performance will be crucial, especially as his face-offs with Ashwin are expected to be a key highlight. Given that both players have experienced recent dips in form, their upcoming battle adds another layer of intrigue to the series.
In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Smith reflected on his past contests with Ashwin, describing them as highly competitive and memorable.
"When you have five matches, if someone gets on top of another player, they could have 10 innings against them. So you are facing those mental challenges each game, and if it goes one way early, they will feel under pressure against that player. There is nowhere to hide in five games like there are in a two-game series. Ashwin and I have had some good battles over the years," he said.
Steve Smith has a career average of 54.2 against Ravichandran Ashwin, who has dismissed him eight times. In the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in India, Smith managed only 22 runs off Ashwin and lost his wicket twice. However, in Australia, where Ashwin’s average rises to around 42 compared to his exceptional 21 at home, Smith has generally fared better. He averages 80.3 against Ashwin on Australian pitches, though he scored just 64 runs and was dismissed three times during the 2020-21 series at home.
Reflecting on the 2017 series in India, Smith showcased dominance, scoring 132 runs off 215 deliveries against Ashwin and being dismissed only twice.
Speaking about his performances in the 2020-21 series, Smith expressed his intent to take a more proactive approach against Ashwin in the upcoming series, aiming to disrupt the spinner’s rhythm and prevent him from settling into a groove.
"Ashwin nicked me off in the first innings in Adelaide and then got me at leg slip at the MCG on a tacky wicket. I do not like getting out to off-spin in Australia. I feel as though it should be, particularly for a right-handed batter, relatively easy to face. But he is also a very good bowler and he came in with some decent plans," said Smith.
"There were a couple of occasions where he got on top of me, then I got on top of him at the SCG when I was a bit more proactive [Smith made 131 and 81]. So that is key for me. Just be proactive against him and not let him settle and bowl the way he wants to," he added.
Now playing at number four after an underwhelming stint as an opener, Smith said that starting the home summer well will give him confidence and he looks on to play the game ball-by-ball and keep things simple.
"It always makes your summer better when you start well. It gives you a lot of confidence. It would be nice to be able to hit the ground running with some runs in the first game and help the team win," said Smith.
"It is about not overthinking things. It is playing each ball as it comes and keeping it simple. When I am playing my best, I am not overthinking and I am just playing what is in front of me. It is going to be a good battle," he concluded.
Smith is the highest run-scorer for Australia among active players in BGT, scoring 1,887 runs in 18 matches, averaging 65.06 with eight centuries and five fifties. He is the ninth-highest run-getter in series history.
