Throughout the five games of the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there were many exciting on-field moments. Ra Ashwin’s sudden international retirement after the third Test in Brisbane was one of the off-field events that generated a lot of talk.
Ashwin recently shared an intriguing observation he made during the Brisbane Test from the dugout regarding Virat Kohli and Aakash Deep. According to Ashwin, Deep was ordered to alter his bowling strategy against Steve Smith as he was having a frightening run of the match. Ashwin believed that the pacer lost rhythm and gave up a couple boundaries as a result of Kohli’s interference.
“At the Gabba, Akash Deep was bowling a fantastic spell. Bumrah wasn’t bowling his best, but he was probably. He was enjoying a fantastic run of three to four overs. I was outdoors watching the game. The words “seedha daalo yaar, seedha daalo!” [bowl straight!] were spoken by Virat as he ran up to him. A fielder immediately emerged and proceeded to leg gully. Aakash Deep was flicked and dragged after bowling on the body and a few balls on the leg side. At the AWS AI Conclave 2025 in Bengaluru, Ashwin said, “His rhythm went awry.”
Here’s what occurs if you don’t understand a bowler: R Ashwin
Ashwin emphasized how crucial it is for a captain to understand the bowle’s mentality. “That made Virat uncomfortable, so he reasoned that if you do something to Smith, you’ll get him out. This is what occurs if you don’t understand a bowler. However, if you know a bowler is having a good stint and you understand him, let him continue to improve,” he continued.
In that game, Steve Smith scored 101 runs in the first inning. In the second innings, India and Deep bowled much better for the hosts. However, the game finished in a draw due to multiple rain-related delays.
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