Ravichandran Ashwin responds to Steve Smith’s jibe on practice matches: “Nobody plans all these things”

Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has responded to Australian batter Steve Smith’s recent comment that playing practice matches in India ahead of a Test series is "irrelevant". He dismissed the Aussie’s claim as "mind games".

Australia will not be playing any practice games in India ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins in Nagpur on February 9. Instead, they are engaged in a four-day training camp at the KSCA Stadium in Alur.

Backing Australia’s decision to not play any practice matches in India, Smith told the Daily Telegraph a couple of days back:

"We normally have two tour games over in England. This time we don't have a tour game in India. The last time (2017) we went I'm pretty sure we got served up a green top (to practice on) and it was sort of irrelevant. Hopefully, we get really good training facilities where the ball is likely to do what it's likely to do out in the middle, and we can get our practice in.”

Reacting to Smith’s comments, Ashwin said that the Aussies are only indulging in their usual mind games. Previewing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on his YouTube channel, he said:

“Australia are not playing any tour matches this time. This is not new. Even India avoids tour games when they go on a few overseas tours. Since Team India’s schedule is packed with international games, it is not possible to turn up for practice games with the same intensity.

“Smith said, ‘We got a green wicket in Brabourne and a completely opposite one in the first Test (during the 2017 series). In all fairness, it was a rank turner in Pune. We might have given them a green track, but nobody plans all these things. However, Australia are known for their mind games and sledges before a series. They love doing that. It’s their style of cricket.”

Incidentally, Australia beat India by 333 runs in the first Test of the 2017 series. The hosts, however, hit back to clinch the series 2-1.

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Steve Smith was the batting star for Australia in 2017

Although Australia ended up losing the 2017 series 2-1, Smith finished as the leading run-getter, smashing 499 runs in four Tests at an average of 71.29. He struck three hundreds in the series, with a best of 178.

Cheteshwar Pujara was India’s leading run-getter, with 405 runs in four matches at an average of 57.86.