R Ashwin's golden piece of advice to disrupt Pakistan's Usman Tariq during IND vs PAK; ‘imagine the pressure on Tariq’

Usman Tariq has been grabbing all the headlines ahead of the high-octane India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup 2026. The Pakistan spinner, who has played just four T20Is for the national team so far, is being touted as a major threat to the famed Indian batting line-up, which is stacked with hard-hitters from the top till seven or eight.

With an unconventional bowling style and an exaggerated pause before releasing the ball, Tariq's sidearm action is being scrutinised by many, including Australia all-rounder Cameron Green, who appeared to be unhappy during their final T20I prior to the T20 World Cup 2026.

Having already been reported twice during Pakistan Super League (PSL) earlier, Tariq was cleared to bowl by the International Cricket Council (ICC). While the batters are struggling to play Tariq, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared a golden piece of advice for the Indian batters ahead of the high-profile clash on February 15 in Colombo.

Having supported Tariq's bowling action under ICC guidelines, Ashwin floted a clever tactic to disrupt the 28-year-old Pakistan spinner's mindset during the game. “There is one thing I want to see. Who dares to do that?” Ashwin said in a video on his Hindi YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.

“If Tariq pauses before delivery, the batter has the right to move away. The batter can say, ‘I don't know when the ball is coming, so I moved away'” opined Ashwin, who walked away with 765 wickets in international cricket.