The build-up to the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) has surpassed expectations. From Australia choosing not to play a practice game to reactions from the likes of Wasim Jaffer and Harbhajan Singh on Australia’s special preparations to counter Ravi Ashwin, the series promises to be intense on and off the field.
Adding to the spice, India’s veteran spinner, Ravi Ashwin, activated his comical side as he cracked a hilarious joke on Twitter. Ashwin quoted a tweet that said, ‘Boys only want one thing, and that starts with B.’ and responds with, ‘Border-Gavaskar Trophy.’
The off-spinner is expected to play a vital role in team India’s title defence in the upcoming 4-match BGT Test series. Reportedly, the Australians have made their own arrangements to counter Ashwin’s threat. A ‘duplicate’ spinner to Ravi Ashwin’s style, Maheesh Pithiya was flown in to bowl as a net bowler in the Australian training camp in Bengaluru.
Australia’s opening batter Usman Khawaja calls Ravi Ashwin a ‘gun’
Even Australia’s opening batter, Usman Khawaja, has acknowledged Ashwin’s threat. Speaking to the Sydney Herald, the 36-year-old said, “Ashwin is a gun. He is very skilful; he has a lot of tricky little variations and uses the crease quite well too. If you asked me the same question when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have been able to answer a lot of things because I didn’t really learn about how to face what off-spinners are doing.”
“But it’s one of those really good challenges. The wicket’s going to turn here at some point, whether day one, day three or day four, and he is going to be in the game and bowl a lot of overs. So it’s all about figuring out how I’m going to play against him, how I’m going to score runs against him, what he might do. If you bat a long time against him, he’s going to change his game plans against you. He’s not the kind of guy who’ll do the same thing over and over; he’s going to try to work you out,” he added.
Here are some of the best reactions to Ravi Ashwin’s joke on Twitter:
Pakistani Boys Also Need Only One Thing That Starts With "B" 💣
— Oggy (@SirOggyBilla) February 6, 2023
Anna waise hi aapse wo darte aur kyu maje le rahe ho😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/kwwplcZgoK
— प्रवीरस्य हृदयम्🇮🇳 (@tk02180) February 6, 2023
Banglore winning IPL Trophy also lot🔥🔥
— madhuvv (@madhuvv3) February 6, 2023
The boy's in cricket pic.twitter.com/o9I8iCrLcS
— preet sidhu (@preetsi23193956) February 6, 2023
Savage 🤣
— SOHIT SINGH (@SOHIT27) February 6, 2023
When you practiced against duplicate Ashwin and real Ashwin starts bowling left arm spin pic.twitter.com/p5Xu4E9ZUq
— Professor ngl राजा बाबू 🥳🌈 (@GaurangBhardwa1) February 6, 2023
Areeee tell us something difficult to get😁😁😁
— Nitin Gupta 🇮🇳 (@ng2026) February 6, 2023
Credits please, Ash 🙂 https://t.co/WsU3tHFsOM
— Vipul (@Sporty_Baba) February 6, 2023
Ashwin in his mind after the reply pic.twitter.com/bLiO0qUvi9
— Ashish Ram (@ashishram24) February 6, 2023
