NEWS
Follow UsFormer India head coach Ravi Shastri has lauded Ravichandran Ashwin for cementing his legacy as a terrific match-winner and complimented the all-rounder on his hunger to evolve over the years. Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Test series, shocking the cricketing fraternity.
"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," Shastri said on ICC Review.
"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. 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."
Shastri further added that his bowling partnership with Ravindra Jadeja helped him become a better bowler as they complemented each other well.
"They complemented each other well and spurred each other on. A lot of Jadeja's wickets in the last 5-6 years have come because of Ashwin and vice-versa," Shastri said.
Speaking about what about Ashwin stood out for Shastri. For me, it was his guile, wanting to excel in his craft, and the way he got the ball to dip and drift on the batsman made him stand out.
"It didn't matter to him who he was bowling against. You know, he was up for it," Shastri concluded, lauding Ashwin's unmatched determination and skill.
Ashwin finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps.
