The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series has been the stage for some of the most remarkable individual rivalries in Test cricket history. In recent times, one notable rivalry has been between Australia's Steve Smith and former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. This intense competition, which spanned 11 years, concluded with the pink ball Test in Adelaide last December, following which Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket. Having emerged victorious in this contest, Ashwin shared insights into his fixation, which had caused his wife Prithi to feel "concerned."

The rivalry commenced in 2013, during which Ashwin managed to dismiss Smith only once in 355 deliveries over two series, while Smith accumulated 216 runs. However, Ashwin eventually deciphered Smith's batting techniques, leading to a significant turnaround. In the subsequent three series, he dismissed Smith seven times, conceding only 218 runs.

Notably, three of these dismissals occurred during India's 2020/21 tour of Australia. Ashwin disclosed that before departing for the series, he dedicated extensive hours to studying Smith's batting, focusing intently on his hands to analyze his techniques and routines. This obsession led his wife to question whether he had developed a crush on the Australian player.

"I cannot recall the number of times I observed Steve Smith bat at home. I would zoom in on his hands on the television. My wife and children were present, yet I hardly paid them any attention for several days. My wife would watch from a distance and inquire if I had a man crush on Smith. She was quite concerned," Ashwin remarked at the AWS AI Conclave 2025 in Bengaluru.

How did Ashwin disrupt Smith's technique?

The 38-year-old disclosed that after extensive research, he discovered that the key to success lay in disrupting the movement of the hand during his unconventional batting style. He illustrated this point by referencing the dismissal that occurred during the Adelaide Test in the 2020-21 series.

"Smith employed an unconventional technique that required his hand to descend at a specific moment, which was peculiar. I realized that if I could interfere with his technique, I could achieve results. Instead of jumping, I focused on loading and delivering the ball. When I bowled that delivery in Adelaide, he was late to respond and edged it to slip," the spinner remarked.

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