"I don't think it will be a huge challenge" - Irfan Pathan expects Ravichandran Ashwin to get the better of David Warner
Irfan Pathan believes Ravichandran Ashwin will continue to have the upper hand in his battle with David Warner during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India will face Australia in a four-match Test series, with the first game starting in Nagpur on February 9. While Ashwin is expected to lead the hosts' spin attack, Warner will want to lay a solid foundation for the visitors' innings.
During a discussion on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Pathan was asked whether Ravichandran Ashwin versus David Warner would be a rivalry to watch, to which he responded:
"No doubt about that, because if you look at his history as well, nearly 50% of Ravichandran Ashwin's wickets have come against left-handed batters. No bowler in history has taken more than 200 left-handed batters' wickets. Those are outstanding numbers. So if he sees David Warner coming in front of him, I don't think it will be a huge challenge."
While acknowledging that the Aussie opener is coming to India on a high, the former Indian all-rounder feels tackling Ashwin on spin-friendly surfaces will be a different ball game, elaborating:
"I know that Warner just scored a double hundred. He will be very, very confident right now, especially with his batting, because he was struggling for runs, but the challenge in India is different - the challenge of the pitches and the challenge of Ravichandran Ashwin - that's going to be very, very mighty and I think Ashwin will definitely trouble David Warner in this series."
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Warner has been dismissed 10 times by Ashwin in Test cricket and averages a dismal 18.2 against him. However, he has a slightly better record against the off-spinner in India, having scored 146 runs at an average of 29.2 for his five dismissals.
"It's going to be a double threat for Australian batters" - Sanjay Bangar on Ravichandran Ashwin's wizardry
Sanjay Bangar was asked whether Ashwin would be up at night devising plans for the left-handed batters, to which he replied:
"It's going to be a double threat for Australian batters because Ravichandran Ashwin, obviously with his guile and subtle change of pace, has various types of releases. One of the fascinating parts of Ravichandran Ashwin's wizardry is the way he sort of gives you the impression that he is going to turn the ball but the ball tends to go on straight and hit the pads of the left-handers."
The former Indian batting coach reckons the Tamil Nadu off-spinner will continue to bamboozle the Aussie left-handers, stating:
"Once he bowls that sort of a delivery, there is enough doubt in the batter's mind whether to play for the straight ball or whether to play for the turning ball. So I feel because of that, it will be extremely difficult and he will continue to have a stranglehold on a lot of their left-handers."
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Ashwin has picked up 89 wickets at a decent average of 31.48 in the 18 Tests he has played against Australia. He has scalped 50 wickets at an impressive average of 23.16 in the eight Tests he has played against them on home soil.