Usman Khawaja Praises Ravichandran Ashwin Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
New Delhi, India – Star Australian opener Usman Khawaja has praised legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, calling him very strategic and always prepared with a plan. The 37-year-old Ashwin has impressive statistics against Australia, having played 22 Test matches and 42 innings, taking 114 wickets at an economy rate of 2.70. On Australian soil, he has taken 39 wickets in 10 Test matches at an economy rate of 2.93.
The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia will start on November 22 with the first Test in Perth. India has dominated the series in recent years, winning the last four series, including two victories in Australia during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. Overall, India has won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 10 times, while Australia has won it five times, with their last series win in 2014-15 and their last win in India in 2004-05.
Speaking to Star Sports, Khawaja lauded Ashwin for his strategic approach and cricketing intelligence. Khawaja said, “Ravi is a very good bowler. He is very strategic, he always has a plan. He always tries to figure it out. He is trying to get ahead of the game, one step ahead of the game, which I respect. I respect his cricketing brain. It’s always cool to play against, yeah I look forward to the challenge.”
Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and has since played 100 Test matches and 189 innings, taking 516 wickets at an economy rate of 2.81.
The second Test will be held from December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval in a day-night format. The third Test will take place at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18. The series will continue with the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30. The final Test will be held at Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting conclusion to the series.
Doubts Revealed
Usman Khawaja -: Usman Khawaja is a cricketer who plays for Australia. He is known for being a good batsman.
Ravichandran Ashwin -: Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian cricketer who is famous for being a very good bowler, especially in Test matches.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy -: The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a series of cricket matches played between India and Australia. It is named after two famous cricketers, Allan Border from Australia and Sunil Gavaskar from India.
spinner -: A spinner is a type of bowler in cricket who makes the ball spin, making it hard for the batsman to hit.
stats -: Stats is short for statistics, which are numbers that show how well a player has performed. For example, Ashwin has taken 114 wickets in 22 matches against Australia.
Perth -: Perth is a city in Australia where the first match of the series will be played.
Sydney -: Sydney is another city in Australia where the last match of the series will be played.
Test -: A Test is a type of cricket match that lasts up to five days. It is considered the longest and most challenging format of the game.
