Ravichandran Ashwin and Travis Head. (Image credit – X)

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently retired from all formats after the Gabba Test, has finally decoded India’s nemesis Travis Heads strategic approach to counter Jasprit Bumrah and the rest of the Indian bowling attack down the stretch Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Ashwin noted how Head used the crease cleverly, changing his stance and footwork to neutralize Bumrah’s pace and other variations from the Indian seamer. This adaptability, combined with a fearless batting game, allowed Head to dominate key phases of the game and showcase his cricketing prowess against one of the best attacks in the world.

During Wednesday’s session, Ashwin, who is known for his sharp cricketing brain, noticed a compelling detail about Head’s training routine as the Australian batsman prepared for the upcoming match Boxing Day Test Game in Melbourne.
Head continually posed tough challenges for India throughout the series and produced crucial performances, including two centuries. His exceptional batting performance played a crucial role in Australia’s series-leveling win in Adelaide this month. However, Head proved vulnerable to fast bowlers who operated around the wicket, with both Harshit Rana and Jasprit Bumrah successfully exploiting this approach.
Ashwin noted that Head appeared to be protecting his off-stump during his batting practice, particularly focusing on managing deliveries in the higher off-stump region to counteract the round-the-wicket bowling strategy.
“Oh my God! He comes to the off-stump? Is this the trick to get around the stumps?” Ashwin responded to a video post on X showing Head’s net session.

Australia received welcome news on Wednesday when captain Pat Cummins announced that prolific batsman Head would be available for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Head, who currently leads the run-scoring rankings in the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, sustained a quadriceps injury in Brisbane.

The middle-order specialist amassed 409 runs in five innings during the series, which included two centuries and a half-century, at an impressive average of nearly 82.