Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of the most loyal servants of Indian cricket for more than a decade. During his tenure with the national team, he was synonymous with stability and reliability in the squad. However, the veteran off-spinner’s illustrious career is revered not only among the stalwarts of Indian cricket but also among legends across the world. One such giant of international cricket Muttiah Muralitharanrecently expressed his interesting views on Ashwin’s illustrious career.
Muralitharan recalls fond memories of Ashwin’s career
In an interview with Telecom Asia Sport (telecomasia.net), the legendary Sri Lankan off spinner asked about Ashwin’s announcement of his retirement from international cricket after the Gabba Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Recalling the time when he first saw Ashwin as a young spin bowler trying to make his mark, Muralitharan said: “I was at the end of my career when he came on the scene, but he struck me as an intelligent young man eager to learn. He sought advice, asked thought-provoking questions, and worked hard to improve himself. It is this passion and hunger that sets him apart.”
Also read: Anushka Sharma pays heartfelt tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin on her Instagram story
In addition, Muralitharan also spoke about the beginning of Ashwin’s career, when he tried his luck as a batsman, the legend further noted: “You have to remember that Ashwin started his career as a batsman, doing spin as a part-time option. He soon realized the writing was on the wall for his batting aspirations and turned his attention to bowling. Hats off to him for this brave turnaround and for achieving what he has. Reaching 500 Test wickets is no walk in the park.“
Muralitharan has been a towering figure in international cricket as the only player to score 800 wickets in Test Cricket. The Sri Lankan off-spinner managed to achieve the milestone in just 133 Test matches.
Take a look at Ashwin’s impressive statistics in international cricket
When it comes to statistics, Ashwin is one of the most successful Indians ever to play the game. The Chennai-lad managed to score 537 wickets in Tests, 156 wickets in ODIs and 72 wickets in the T20I format. This makes him the second leading Indian wicket-taker in Test cricket, only second Anil Kumble. Ashwin was also instrumental in scoring 3503 test runs with 6 centuries with the bat.
