R Ashwin taunts Steve Smith on DRS row, says reminds him of U-10 days

Ravichandran Ashwin says Steve Smith’s move is completely unheard of in the game and, coming from a person who he respects, was very surprising

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took six second-innings wicket in the Bangalore Test, has taken a swipe at Australia skipper Steve Smith’s action to seek dressing-room advice for a DRS referral, terming it “an under-10 game” approach.

Ravichandran Ashwin pointed a finger to his forehead after getting rid of Mitchell Starc on Tuesday in retaliation to the Aussie bowler who pointed his finger at Abhinav Mukund after the latter hit a six at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.(PTI)

Ravichandran Ashwin told bcci.tv that Smith’s move was reminiscent of the days he used to play junior cricket. “Steven Smith actually turned back and asked the dressing room if he could take a review. That is completely unheard of. The last time I thought that to happen was in an under-10 game, when my coach used to suggest where point fielders and cover fielders used to stand.

“It was really surprising. I have a lot of respect for Steven Smith, but that was very, very surprising,” Ashwin told teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, who was with the spinner on the show.

Ashwin, who had a total of eight wickets in the second Test, told Aussie opener Matt Renshaw that he would have the visitors for “soup and dessert” if they did not put up a big total in reply to India’s first innings score of 189.

“They were having a lot of chat in the park when we were actually going out to bat and we were down. It is very easy to have a chat when you are down. I told Matt Renshaw when he was batting in the first innings that if they didn’t score big I would have them for soup and dessert. I am very happy that it happened.”

Pujara felt that India had stood up to the Aussie sledging tactics, saying, “...they were talking a lot and probably sledging is something which, as a unit, we felt that we can give them back.”

Pujara, who slammed a match-winning 92 in the second innings, said he tried relentlessly to unsettle David Warner by reminding him about Ashwin’s record against him. “They were always under pressure when they walked in to bat, and I wanted to make sure their batsmen were thinking about it, especially Warner. Whenever he walks in to bat, Ash is always happy, so I always keep reminding him that Ash is the one who picks (up his wicket),” said Pujara.

On his send-off to Aussie quick Mitchell Starc --- Ashwin pointed a finger to his temple --- the off-spinner said it was a rejoinder to what the pacer had told his Tamil Nadu teammate Abhinav Mukund earlier.

“I saw yesterday, Abhi (Mukund) pulled Mitchell Starc for a six, he top-edged it for six. But yes, I don’t think he was in any sort of hurry when he pulled that ball, and Mitchell Starc suggested that he would hit him on the helmet. I don’t know, people generally have the habit of saying I’ll hit you back on the helmet at Gabba.

“It doesn’t matter, this is Bangalore, so I thought I must tell him that he got hit off me, in the first innings, on the helmet,” said Ashwin.