India’s Ravichandran Ashwin during a test cricket match, in Visakhapatnam. (PTI/File)
Former India coach Ravi Shastri said that recently-retired Ravichandran Ashwin’s constant drive to evolve was one of the reasons that made him stand out.
“What stands out for me was his wanting to evolve all the time. He wasn’t the kind of guy satisfied as to where he started. For me it was his guile, wanting to excel in his craft and (especially) in the last two-three years the way he got the ball to the way, gave it a rip and got it to dip on the batsman with drift made him stand out,” Shastri said on ‘The ICC Review’.
“He wanted new tricks to be learned. He pursued it, practiced hard at it and continued to look for new things as his career progressed, to keep up with the times. His legacy will be of being a terrific match-winner, a fabulous record, 537 sticks. I mean anyone over 500 (in Test cricket) is special,” he added.
The spinner called time on his career on Wednesday right after the third India vs Australia Test match ended in a draw. Ashwin’s decision to retire in the middle of the series, with two Tests remaining did raise some eyebrows. Especially, since the fifth Test would favour spinners.
In the three Tests in Australia, he only played in one Test. He retired from Indian cricket team with 537 Test scalps to his name. His Test wicket tally is the second-highest for India, only behind Anil Kumble’s 619.
Ashwin landed in Chennai on Thursday and had a message for his fans, saying that he was not done with cricket.
Speaking to media, the India legend reiterated that he will continue to play for the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
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