Ravichandran Ashwin, the seasoned Indian off-spinner has said that the thought of surpassing veteran Harbhajan Singh’s record of 417 Test wickets has never crossed his mind.
The 34-year-old presently has 409 wickets from 78 Tests at an average of 24.69, a tally that consists of 30 five-wicket hauls, including one in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad Test.
Ravichandran Ashwin (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Ravichandran Ashwin Not Thinking Of SApproaching Harbhajan Singh’s Tally
Man of the Series Ravichandran Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker with 32 scalps in 4 Tests averaging 14.72 in the recently concluded 4 Test series against England. He became the second-fastest bowler to breach the 400-wicket milestone in the longest format of the game.
He recently achieved the landmark in 77 Tests and is only behind Muttiah Muralitharan, who did so in 72 matches. He has 409 scalps and is only behind Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434), and Harbhajan Singh (417) among India’s leading wicket-takers.
Asked about his thoughts on approaching Harbhajan Singh’s tally, Ravichandran Ashwin responded: “Actually there is no take on that. Because that’s not what I am thinking, and that’s not even crossed my mind.”
Praising Harbhajan Singh for being a fabulous bowler, Ravichandran Ashwin observed: “He has achieved so much, and there is a lot that I have learnt from him. Actually, it’s a no-brainer. I have said this before also. I wasn’t even an off-spinner when Bhaju pa started playing for the Indian team. I was a batsman who could bowl a bit of off-spin.”
Ravichandran Ashwin continued in this regard: “He was also an inspiration because of the 2001 series, the way he delivered for India in that famous series. I am just happy that you are putting me on the same page as him. I had the fortune of playing alongside him. Later, I was fortunate to play under Anil bhai (Anil Kumble) as coach. And now, I am trying to leave my own legacy,” said Ashwin.
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder has been no stranger to criticism. His record away from home has been questioned often by critics. But Ravichandran Ashwin silenced his critics with his all-round show in Australia.
Ravichandran Ashwin Want To Keep Evolving As A Cricketer After Scoring 5th Test Ton And Winning Man Of The Series For Being Leading Wicket Twker With 32 Scalps
In the recently-concluded series against England as well, Ravichandran Ashwin lifted his batting and scored his fifth Test hundred in the 2nd Test at Chennai on a pitch that was the subject of intense criticism. He was also the leading wicket-taker in the series, with 32 wickets.
Ravichandran Ashwin hit his 5th Test hundred, his first against England during Day 3 of the Chennai Test (PTI Photo)
Analyzing his growth as an international player, Ravichandran Ashwin said: “My growth as a cricketer is a direct synonym to the kind of person I am. I like to keep growing every single day.
“I want to keep evolving and learning. That is something that is second nature to me. That is directly proportional to the kind of cricketer that I am. I will continue to do that for the rest of my life. Whatever I do, I want to be the best that I can be. And that is how I am looking at my cricket and my life generally.”
For his all-around effort (32 wickets and 189 runs), Ravichandran Ashwin walked away with the Man of the Series award against England. He picked 3 5 wicket hauls and his best figure was 6/61.
