IND vs NZ 1st Test: Dinesh Karthik lavishes praise on R Ashwin, says ‘He should be spoken of in the same breath as Kapil Dev’ – Dinesh Karthik believes Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the greatest to have played for India and should be spoken in the same breath as legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev. Ashwin has been a stellar servant for India in the longest format of the game and became the third-highest wicket-taker for the country, and chipped in with fine cameos in both innings. Follow Insidesport.in for all IND vs NZ LIVE Updates.
IND vs NZ 1st Test: Dinesh Karthik lavishes praise on R Ashwin, says ‘He should be spoken of in the same breath as Kapil Dev’
Ravichandran Ashwin has made his mark during the IND vs NZ 1st Test, and Dinesh Karthik believes that the veteran off-spinner is one of the finest cricketers to have represented the country. Karthik opines that Ashwin should be mentioned in the same breath as Kapil Dev, and his Tamil Nadu teammates’ numbers should back his claim.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik said, “Obviously, I don’t think I am in a place to judge both of them, but I must admit that they should be spoken of in the same breath when it comes to Indian cricket because both of them have been match-winners, have been exemplary, and have been definitely the two best all-rounders to have come out of this soil for a long, long time.”
IND vs NZ 1st Test: Dinesh Karthik lavishes praise on R Ashwin, says ‘He should be spoken of in the same breath as Kapil Dev’
Dinesh Karthik added, “You have to put him there (among India’s best all-rounders) with the number of Man of the Series he has won, the accolades he has got obviously. Getting 417 wickets in 80 Tests is an unbelievable record to have and the fact that he’s contributed and scored five hundreds, much more than a lot of the batters who play for a longer period of time in Test matches. There are people who have played 30-35 Tests, and still haven’t managed five hundreds.”
On Day 5, Ashwin went past Harbhajan Singh to become the country’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Ashwin scalped the wicket of Tom Latham (52) on the ongoing Day 5 of the first Test against New Zealand and hence he achieved the feat. The off-spinner had equalled Harbhajan’s tally of 417 wickets on Sunday after he dismissed Will Young on Day 4. Ashwin has so far taken 30 five-wicket hauls in his career.