Overview
- India took a 2-1 lead over Australia with a 48-run victory, a match that shaped Ashwin’s latest assessment on his YouTube channel.
- Ashwin said teams aiming to beat India at home will prioritize plans for opener Abhishek Sharma and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
- He outlined Australia’s powerplay plan for Abhishek: bowl wide outside off, reduce pace to blunt his swing, and avoid targeting the stumps, highlighting Nathan Ellis’s lengths.
- He pointed to Tim David’s handling of Chakravarthy as a model opponents may study to counter the spinner.
- Reports describe India as strong favourites for 2026, with BCCI said to have shortlisted Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai for hosting, a likely final in Ahmedabad, and Pakistan games potentially in Sri Lanka pending confirmation.