Ravichandran Ashwin Is A Legend For Winning Matches For India: Harbhajan Singh

Feb 27, 2021 at 2:32 PM

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Ravichandran Ashwin Is A Legend For Winning Matches For India: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh said there should not be any doubts regarding off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s legendary status, considering the number of matches he has won for the Indian team.

Ravichandran Ashwin is 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 401 scalps and is only behind Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434), and Harbhajan Singh (417) among India’s leading wicket-takers.

Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Harbhajan Singh: Ravichandran Ashwin Deserves All The Accolades For Taking 400 Test Wickets

During a discussion, Harbhajan Singh pointed out that Ravichandran Ashwin deserves all the accolades as he has been a proven match-winner for the Indian cricket team. 34-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin has played only 77 Tests to take 401 scalps and averages 24.95 with the ball.

“Taking 400 wickets is a very big thing and that too in Test cricket, a format which tests you mentally, physically and every other way. So to dismiss 400 batsmen in that and win the team match after match is a huge thing. There is no doubt that R Ashwin is a legend,” said Singh.

Harbhajan Singh (© IANS)
Harbhajan Singh (© IANS)

The Turbanator concurred with Virat Kohli that Ravichandran Ashwin deserves the “legend” tag and added that he would also address the lanky off-spinner by the same tag when he meets him.

“Even if he had not taken 400 wickets, it was not that he would not have been considered a legend because he has won India so many matches. It was great to hear Virat Kohli saying that he will be calling Ashwin as a legend going forward. I will also call him a legend when I meet him next time,” observed Harbhajan Singh.

Ravichandran Ashwin is the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in 3 Tests while Axar Patel who took 11 wickets in the 3rd Test is on a dream run taking 18 wickets in his first two Tests averaging a meagre 9.44. Jack Leach is 3rd on the list with 16 scalps. The 4th and final Test of the series will start on March 4th at the same venue.

Harbhajan Singh: Ravichandran Ashwin Has Greater Responsibility To Dismiss Ben Stokes And Joe Root

Harbhajan Singh was also asked about Ravichandran Ashwin’s outstanding record against Ben Stokes. The Turbunator named Ben Stokes as the premier batsmen in the England lineup and the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that a bowler needs to target such players and should get them out early in the innings.

“A bowler’s main task is to take wickets and that too the one which is most essential for the team, the main batsman from the opposition team. If I see this England batting, there are two big names in Ben Stokes and Joe Root. They have the ability to take England to a situation from where they can control the match,” said Singh.

Ben Stokes (Photo | AP)
Ben Stokes, England all-rounder (Photo | AP)

The 40-year-old lauded Ravichandran Ashwin for shouldering the responsibility of dismissing the main opposition batsmen and expressed hope that he continues to do so in future endeavours.

“So, R Ashwin has a greater responsibility to get them out and he has not done that now but has done that very well from the time he has been playing and I pray that he continues doing so going ahead, that R Ashwin keeps a stranglehold on the main batsmen from the opposition team,” concluded Harbhajan Singh.

Ravichandran Ashwin has got the better of Ben Stokes on eleven occasions in Tests which remains the most he has dismissed any batsman. The wily off-spinner has always enjoyed the upper hand against left-handed batsmen. He is the only bowler in the history of Test cricket to have taken 200 wickets against southpaws, with David Warner (10 times) and Alastair Cook (9 times) being his other principal victims.

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