The World No. 1 Test bowler R Ashwin is one of those players, who is just not talked about enough. He is on the brink of 500 Test wickets, and will be one of the fastest to achieve the milestone, even quicker than legendary Anil Kumble. Given his prowess with the ball, he is all but certain to attain the landmark in the five-Test series.
Even skipper Rohit Sharma, who started his Test career almost the same time as Ashwin, credits the latter for playing a significant part in home Test wins for the country. Speaking with Dinesh Karthik, on JioCinema, Rohit said, “He’s been such a successful bowler for us. So many series that we have won in India, he’s got the major part of it (wickets). He’s played an important role in winning us those series’.
“People say, ‘we win in India’, but you see, it’s not easy. You still have to get the opposition out, you still have to score runs. This is Test cricket, played at a different venue. When go outside (India), when you play here, venues are different, but the bat & the ball is the same.
“So, Ashwin in the last decade or so, every series we have played in India, he’s played a major part in it. The way he has bowled, taken up the challenge, to give us those breakthroughs, he’s always been there. He’s got class. Close to 500 wickets, it’ll be a big landmark for him, and all of us can’t wait for it.”