IND vs AUS: "Very Skilful, Got A Lot Of Tricky Little Variations"- Usman Khawaja Lauds Ravichandran Ashwin Ahead Of Nagpur Test

Australian opener Usman Khawaja has lauded veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of the first Test in Nagpur starting from February 9. The Aussies are leading the WTC points table and India needs to win the series to play the finals against the.

For India to win the series, R Ashwin has to play a very important role in the series and Khawaja is well aware of that. While the focus on Ashwin against the likes of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, Ashwin’s battle with Khawaja at the top could well define the direction of the first Test.

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“Ashwin is a gun. He’s very skillful, he’s got a lot of tricky little variations, he uses the crease quite well too. If you asked me the same question when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have been able to answer a lot of things because I didn’t really learn about how to face what off-spinners are doing” Usman Khawaja told the Sydney Morning Herald.

It’s All About Figuring Out Ravichandran Ashwin: Usman Khawaja

Khawaja further said that with wickets aiding spin the Indian off-spinner is going to bowl a lot of overs throughout the Test match and he has to adapt to playing him very well

“But it’s one of those really good challenges. The wicket’s going to turn here at some point, whether day one, day three or day four, and he’s going to be in the game and bowl a lot of overs. So it’s all about figuring out how I’m going to play against him, how I’m going to score runs against him, what he might do. If you bat a long time against him, he’s going to change his game plans against you” the Aussie opener added.

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Looking Forward To Playing Ravichandran Ashwin: Usman Khawaja

Ravichandran Ashwin had the likes of Smith and Labuschagne in trouble in the previous Test series in Australia bowling them a leg stump line and Khawaja said that the Indian off-spinner will try experimenting with new things throughout the Test series and thus it’s all about figuring him out as early as possible.

“He’s not the kind of guy who’ll do the same thing over and over, he’s going to try to work you out. So I’m looking forward to it. Four Test matches is a long time, so hopefully, I can do alright and score runs for my team, but you know what, it’s always fun. Subcontinent, playing against spin is some of the most fun you’ll have in terms of finding a way to get in and score runs, it’s quite rewarding,” Khawaja concluded saying.

Ashwin has already taken 89 wickets against Australia in 18 Test matches and has a chance to get to 100 wickets against them in this series. Khawaja has already scored an unbeaten 195 against South Africa in the Sydney Test earlier this year in January.

Also Read: IND VS AUS: “BEATING INDIA THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE FOR US” – DAVID WARNER UPBEAT FOR INDIA TOUR

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