'Ashhhh, Get the Ball in the First 10 Overs' - How Ravi Shastri Plotted Steve Smith's Melbourne Dismissal

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Cricketnext Staff

Last Updated:January 22, 2021, 08:53 IST

India offspinner R Ashwin and fielding coach R Sridhar revealed the behind-the-scenes work that went behind India's victory in the second Test in Melbourne

India offspinner R Ashwin and fielding coach R Sridhar revealed the behind-the-scenes work that went behind India’s victory in the second Test in Melbourne, which kickstarted their turnaround in the Border Gavaskar Trophy which they eventually won 2-1. The duo spoke about how India coach Ravi Shastri produced a tactical masterstroke to bring in Ashwin early on Day 1 in Melbourne which played a part in India winning despite losing the toss.

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Speaking in Ashwin’s YouTube channel, Sridhar said: “Five minutes before toss, I was holding some fielding drills. Ravi came to me and asked ‘Sri, when was the last time a team fielding first at the MCG won the Test?’ I wondered why he was asking me an out-of-syllabus question. I told him ‘I’ve studied results of the last five Tests. All of them have been won by the team batting first, but I feel this is a blessing in disguise because the wicket is damp. If they win the toss they’ll definitely bat, it’ll be a good toss to lose for us.’ That’s when he had this thought that we could still win the match even if we lost the toss."

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Ashwin chipped in: “After we lost the toss, Shastri came to me and went “ashhhh". I was wearing my pant and suddenly taken aback! I said yes Ravi bhai. He roared in typical style ‘get the ball in the first 10 overs’. I was like get the ball in the first 10 overs in Melbourne? He said “I’ve told Jinx, it’s damp and might spin’. As he said, I got the ball early… and the ball spun immediately. I was like wow, what’s happening!'"

Sridhar revealed how Shastri plotted Smith’s dismissal, saying: “We were sitting in the coaches’ box. The three of us were sitting with Hari, the analyst. Ravi bhai came in and thundered ‘I have told Jinks to bring Ash on early. He has the mental edge over Smith. The ball will surely do something. It’s a red ball not a pink ball. I’m waiting. I want to see him bowl inside the 40th minute’. And he was clapping furiously.

ASHHHHHHHHHHH. GET THE BALL IN THE FIRST TEN OVERS @RaviShastriOfc MASTERSTROKE AT THE ‘G pic.twitter.com/9j92nY5H7A— Tracer Bullet (@ravimaestri) January 21, 2021

“And then when you (Ashwin) got the ball in your hand, the bowling coach was super excited. He was like, ‘Something is going to happen now’. Ashwin’s first ball itself fizzed and bounced; my heart was beating fast. My first thought was ‘Oh dear, how is Rishabh Pant going to keep to Ashwin on this wicket’. He was under pressure, was playing his first game. So that was running on my mind, I wanted to tell him to stand 2-3 inches behind. I called Saha and told him my thoughts immediately. I was hoping we’ll get 4 wickets before lunch."

Sridhar and Ashwin also paid tribute to Ajinkya Rahane, who made a stellar century with the bat, and debutant Mohammed Siraj.

“That phase of play… that’s probably the best pace attack I’ve seen in a long time. Ajinkya immediately went into his zone. His bat just didn’t come out (away from his body). It was like English conditions on an Australian pitch. Jinks’ knock was beyond words. Till the time Rishabh got in, it wasn’t easy. Vihari and Jinks added 50 runs in the partnership but it wasn’t easy. Jinks was so disciplined," Sridhar said.