R Ashwin lauds Todd Murphy, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith’s captaincy in IND vs AUS series

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lauded the Australian team’s performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was full of praise for the young off-spinner Todd Murphy, opener Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith for his captaincy.
Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “Todd Murphy had a sensational debut series. You might wonder what is there to talk about Todd Murphy. This is his first tour to India. I remember many spinners’ first tour to India. Nathan Lyon came here first to India in 2013. He went to Sri Lanka before that. Todd Murphy came here 10-50 times better than how Nathan Lyon came here in his first tour to India in 2013.”
“I am not saying he is a better bowler regarding quality, skill, or performance. I am talking about his capacity and composure to bowl around and over the stumps. In Ahmedabad Test, he bowled most of his overs from over the stumps. Until that, he was bowling around the stumps,” he added.

Ashwin further went on to say, “Todd Murphy is the current generation spinner that is not bowling the fast back-of-length delivery but also has an odd slower one. So a lot of credit to Todd Murphy. For the first tour as an off-spinner, and playing second fiddle to Nathan Lyon he has definitely caught the imagination. And he is just 20 years old. And showing this kind of composure, it is setting all the right signs for Australia in the future also.”
Todd Murphy picked up 14 wickets from four games at an average of 25.21.
Steve Smith’s captaincy
Australia lost the first two games of the series. Skipper Pat Cummins had to leave and fly back to Australia abruptly to attend to his mother, who succumbed to her illness and died. Vice Captain Steve Smith took the reigns. Australia won the third Test in Indore and drew the Test in Ahmedabad. Many cricket pundits appreciated Smith’s tactics across the two matches.
Ashwin, in his video, said, “Steve Smith led them outstandingly well in the Test match. He has amazing creativity he gets the game. We know that he is a great batsman. But to be a great student of the game, you should know all the nuances of the game. He knows when to do what and gets the hang of the game.”
Ashwin said of loss in Indore, “He led them well in the last two Tests. Be it with field placements, or bowling changes; he was spot on. He never let us take control in Indore.”
Usman Khawaja’s batting
Ashwin was also full of praise for Usman Khawaja’s batting this series. Despite playing his first series in India the southpaw ended up as the top run-scorer of the series scoring 333 runs at an average of 47.57 in four matches. His 180-run knock in the final Test in Ahmedabad showed the class of the left-hander.
Ashwin said “Usman Khawaja batted really well. through the series, he found ways to make runs. When he started his career Graeme Swann took his wicket for fun. He didn’t have the greatest times. When he began his career, he came in with a big reputation. But he could not fully showcase his ability and talent when he started. But Usman Khawaja is a great example of hard work never fails.”
Speaking of his technique Ashwin said, “He plays with his lower and soft hands.”
Ashwin in addition to these was also full of praise for left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann. The young spinner was not part of the initial squad however, was added to the squad after the loss in the first Test in Nagpur and made his debut in the second Test in Delhi.

Kuhenamann’s five-wicket haul in just nine overs in Indore helped Australia comeback in the series. He picked up nine wickets from three games at an average of 31.11.