• Source:JND
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The highly anticipated five-match Test series between India and Australia is still months away, but the psychological battles have already commenced. Notable figures like Ravi Shastri, Ricky Ponting, and Geoff Lawson have begun predicting the outcome, picking their favoured winners. India, seeking a historic third consecutive series win on Australian soil, will aim to replicate their previous successes, having emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline in their last two tours.

Australia, the reigning world Test champions, is determined to win the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which has eluded them for nearly a decade. However, according to Sunil Gavaskar, India has been slow to respond to Australia's psychological tactics, with only Ravi Shastri offering a robust counter so far. Gavaskar feels that India needs to intensify its response to match Australia's mind games.

“The five Test matches that India play (at home) before they go to Australia will be good for the mental tuning that is required for a tough tour like that. Already the mind games have begun with Australian players both current and former airing their views about what the result would be," Gavaskar wrote on his column for the mid-day.

“While they (Australia) are not making Glenn McGrath-like statements of a clean sweep they are still suggesting that Australia will prevail. Sadly, apart from Ravi Shastri no other former or current player has seen to counter the mind games which the Aussies are so good at,” he added.

Gavaskar has a clever solution to India's lack of verbal sparring with Australia: he suggests that Ravichandran Ashwin should start hinting at a mysterious "special delivery" he's working on to unsettle Australia's top Test batsman, Steve Smith. Gavaskar believes, would be an effective counterpunch from the Indian camp.

“Maybe Ravichandran Ashwin should start telling us about a special delivery that he is developing for Steve Smith, that is of course if he continues to open the batting and can survive Jasprit Bumrah,” Gavaskar added.

It's worth noting that Ashwin has a strong record against Smith, having dismissed him eight times in Test cricket - a tally only bettered by Stuart Broad, who dismissed Smith 11 times. This history between Ashwin and Smith adds context to Gavaskar's suggestion that Ashwin could develop a "special delivery" to target Smith.