Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed how senior batter Virat Kohli’s advise for pacer Akash Deep to plot Steve Smith’s downfall backfired in the recent Test tour of Australia.

As per Ashwin, Kohli didn’t understand Akash which couldn’t help him build on a spell. The third Test in Brisbane was Akash’s debut in Australia after India had lost the previous game in Adelaide where Harshit Rana failed to claim a wicket and was left out of the XI.

While the Bengal pacer drew several false shots off Smith and others in his 29.5 overs, he only had a late wicket of wicketkeeper Alex Carey to show for it. The Australian star recovered from his early scratchiness and went on to slam a hundred (101).

“Akash Deep was bowling a fabulous spell at the Gabba. He was probably bowling his best, but Bumrah wasn’t. He was going through a wonderful spell of 3-4 overs. I was watching the game from outside. I saw Virat run up to him and say, ‘seedha daalo yaar, seedha daalo!’ [bowl straight!]. Immediately, out came a fielder and he went to leg gully. Aakash Deep bowled on the body and a couple of balls on the leg side, he got flicked and pulled. His rhythm went awry,” Ashwin recalled at the AWS AI Conclave 2025 in Bengaluru.

“In Virat’s head, he thought that was uncomfortable for him, so if you do that against Smith, you will get him out. If you don’t understand a bowler, this is what happens. But if you understand a bowler, you know he’s going through a good spell, allow him to build on that spell,” he added.

Smith stitched a 241-run stand with Travis Head, who scored 152 in the same innings. Australia were bowled out for 445 and caught India off-guard in the second innings, skittling them out for 260.

India bounced back by reducing Australia to 89/7 in the third innings and Australia declared, but by then, rain had wasted a lot of time and the match ended in a draw.

Soon after the end of the match, Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect.