NEWS
Follow UsAustralian batters Steven Smith and Travis Head feel India’s ace offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be a big threat when Rohit Sharma and his men travel to Australia later this year for the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ashwin, who has more than 500 wickets in the red-ball format, has played 22 Tests against Australia and picked up 114 wickets at an average of 28.4. Down Under, the 38-year-old has played 10 Tests and scalped 39 wickets at an average of 42.2.
Smith has played 15 Tests against Ashwin, scoring 434 runs at an average of 54.3. Ashwin has dismissed Smith on eight occasions, while Head has got out to him three times in six innings.
"A very good bowler, very skilful. He can bowl different balls in different ways with different seams in whatever the conditions entail. He's a quality performer and has been for a very long time,” said Smith on Star Sports.
Adding more, Head said: "He [Ashwin] is all over you all the time...It's always nice to try and play well against the best bowlers.”
Meanwhile, Australia’s left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc is looking forward to his battle against Virat Kohli. Starc has dismissed Kohli four times in Test cricket, but the batting maestro has an average of 59 against him.
"We have played a lot of cricket against one another. I have always had some good battles. I've managed to get him out once or twice and he has no doubt scored a fair few runs against me. So it's always a good contest and one we both enjoy."
The five-match Test series will get underway from November 22 in Perth.
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