WATCH: Test 'centurion' Ravichandran Ashwin lauded by Team India

Soham Mukherjee
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• 5 min read
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Ravichandran Ashwin was felicitated ahead of the fifth Test against England by India head coach Rahul Dravid for making his 100th Test appearance. 

India captain Rohit Sharma also hailed Ashwin as a stalwart of Indian cricket as the off-spinner reaches a significant milestone in his illustrious career. Recently, he became the second-fastest player to reach 500 Test wickets, solidifying his position as one of India's greatest bowlers.

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"Ash has been a real stalwart of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation and the family. We will be rooting for him to do the magic," Sharma said at the toss.

However, for the man himself, his 100th Test match is just another milestone - nothing extraordinary. 

What did R Ashwin say?

Talking to ESPN Cricinfo, Ashwin said: "Yes, I'm very good with numbers but there is a difference between remembering numbers and that actually meaning something great for you. This will be like, "I've ticked another box." There have been several times that I have thought whether 100 Tests means anything at all. Zak [Zaheer Khan] didn't play a hundred. MS [Dhoni] didn't. Adam Gilchrist didn't. It's just another number.

"When we get into the Indian team, or an IPL team, we are not always prepared for a scenario that we will get only one or two chances to prove ourselves. That is the pressure I have played with for long durations in my career.

 

"I think my going on to represent India in a hundred Tests really means something in that regard. I wouldn't say I am a motivation for others. I might well be, but that is not what I set out to do. It is the experience of having played a hundred Tests and having experienced this wonderful country and the cricket community of this wonderful country that I can share with cricketers, and probably help more cricketers from my part of the country to come through."

What did Ricky Ponting say about Ashwin?

Legendary cricketer Ricky Ponting also praised Ashwin's mastery of spin, emphasizing his adaptability in various conditions. Ponting, who had the opportunity to coach Ashwin during their time together at Delhi, lauded the off-spinner's commitment to continuous improvement, highlighting his innovative approach to refining his skills.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, Ponting said: "He's a master of spin in any conditions. He's been an incredible cricketer, no doubt about it. I had a chance to coach him for a couple of years at Delhi, and loved working with him. He's got a lot of theories and philosophies on the game, which I really like. He's always done things a little bit differently and done things his own way. But he just continued to evolve as a bowler.

"That's the thing that I loved about him when I was coaching him, he’d stand at the end of his mark and he'd be working on something different, a little tweak to his action or a change of grip or a different delivery. He's never been one that was going to die wondering about trying to find ways to get better."

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Author(s)
Soham Mukherjee