“They are limiting hitting areas” - R Ashwin lauds Australia for plans against star batter in AUS vs IND 2025 4th T20I

Former India spinner R Ashwin praised the Australian bowlers for their strategies against explosive opener Abhishek Sharma in the fourth T20I. The match was played on Thursday, November 6, at Carrara Oval in Queensland.

Put into bat, India finished at 167/8 in their 20 overs, with Shubman Gill top-scoring with 46 off 39 balls. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma was not at his best, scoring 28 off 21 balls, including three fours and a six. In response, the hosts struggled with the bat and were bowled out for 119 in 18.2 overs, losing the match by 48 runs.

Following the game, during a discussion on his YouTube channel, Ashwin pointed out that Abhishek struggled in the first five overs, going at less than a run a ball. The 39-year-old further commended the hosts for not bowling at the stumps to the left-hander and for varying the pace to curb Abhishek’s swing. Ashwin said:

“Abhishek Sharma has been one of the deadly batters against fast bowlers inside the powerplay, against any bowler. Australian bowlers to Abhishek Sharma, in the powerplay itself, he made 29 off 23, of which a sixth over went for a lot. Before that, Abhishek Sharma was going at less than a run a ball. See, they had a plan to slightly reduce bat swing.” “You will notice that Nathan Ellis hasn’t bowled any balls within the stumps to Abhishek Sharma. They have gone wide outside the off stump, and they also went a bit pace off to make sure that a swinging arc is curtailed. So against Abhishek Sharma, he is not weak on the off side; he hits very strongly there. But they are limiting hitting areas by bowling slightly wider and also taking the pace off so that it can come a bit straighter. I thought they bowled really well,” he added.

R Ashwin continued:

“But as far as I have seen Abhishek Sharma, he improves very fast, and this is one thing that will challenge him, because Abhishek’s swing arc, as far as the ball falls in the stumps, can really give it a wake. So they are taking it away from the stumps. Hence, they are also keeping the odd bouncer at him as a real possibility. The more you bowl outside, his head will drop in that direction, and to hit there, they can keep that bouncer to get him out, probably a deep square leg. They are also taking the pace off so that they can challenge the bat swing.”

Meanwhile, after four games, Abhishek remains the series’ leading scorer, amassing 140 runs at an average of 35.00 and a strike rate of 159.09, including one fifty.

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R Ashwin identifies two key Indian players for opponents to target ahead of 2026 T20 World Cup

In the same video, R Ashwin also noted that Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy are two Indian players that opponents will target and must handle if they hope to get past the Men in Blue in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He said:

“So far, I was saying that handling Jasprit Bumrah is critical, but I would now say, from what I have seen, Tim David handled Varun Chakaravarthy. I am thinking teams will go for Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy if they have to get past India. Against Abhishek Sharma, we will definitely see in this series the plan that is made, and they will definitely invite that. Whatever teams are coming, they will come prepared for the World Cup. Similarly, against Varun Chakaravarthy, because that will give them leverage in that T20 World Cup.”

The Men in Blue will compete in the T20 World Cup next year as defending champions, having won the tournament in 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

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Edited by Dev Sharma