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MELBOURNE. – Former skipper Steve Waugh has warned that Australia’s only hope of beating India in their upcoming series is by taming Ravichandran Ashwin, branding the record-breaking spinner “the Bradman of bowling”.

After the offspinner became the fastest bowler to claim 250 test wickets last weekend, Waugh paid Ashwin the ultimate Australian compliment by comparing him to the game’s greatest batsman, the late Donald Bradman.

“He is the Bradman of bowling. Ashwin is doing what Don Bradman did with batting. Pretty incredible stuff and he is a handy batsman too,” Waugh was quoted as saying in the Times of India on Wednesday.

“Ashwin is the player that Australia have to overcome and probably then we have a chance. His record in India is just phenomenal,” said Waugh, who was attending an awards ceremony in Monaco.

Australia have not won a test in India since their 2-1 series victory in 2004 and few observers give them much hope of success this time round against what is currently the world’s No 1 ranked team.

India are on a record-breaking 19-test unbeaten run and have also won six series on the trot under the captaincy of their star batsman, Virat Kohli.

Ashwin is the team’s undoubted star bowler, ranked No 1 in test bowling rankings and top of the allrounders’ list after picking up 61 wickets in the last three series – all of them at home. – AFP.