On Thursday in Dharamsala, R Ashwin became the 14th Indian cricketer to don his Test cap for the 100th Test. As India and England clashed in the scenic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, it marked a landmark moment in the careers of R Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow as both players entered the 100 Test match club.
Rich tributes poured in from all corners for India’s champion off-spinner who sits on 507 Test wickets in 99 Tests at an average of 23. R Ashwin has snared 35 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Only three players – Muthiah Muralidaran, Shane Warne, and Richard Hadlee – have bagged more Test five-fors than Ashwin.
An extraordinary student of the art of spin bowling: Harsha Bhogle on R Ashwin
Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle, who is a huge fan of R Ashwin, paid a rich tribute to the Tamil Nadu off-spinner with a tweet. Bhogle also highlighted two powerful traits of Ashwin that have made him the legend that he is today.
Bhogle said Ashwin’s intense work ethic and his strong, burning desire to keep getting better in order to become the best in the world at his skill has made him stand apart from the rest.
On the occasion of R Ashwin’s 100th Test match, Harsha Bhogle tweeted: “An extraordinary student of the art of spin bowling, of our game itself, plays his 100th test tomorrow. It is a career that has been defined by constant learning, and refining, of skills. And like with almost all great players, it was his work ethic and a fierce desire to becoming the best he could be, that are at the heart of @ashwinravi99’s phenomenal achievement.”
On the eve of his 100th Test, R Ashwin named the three batters that he enjoyed bowling the most against. And it’s unsurprisingly the three of the best four batters of this generation.
“I’ve loved bowling to Steven Smith, [Kane] Williamson and Joe Root,” Ashwin said on Wednesday. “They’re some of the finest batters going around the world right now.”
Among the domestic batters, he added, “[S] Badrinath. I felt he was one of the finest batters of spin.
“Then Mithun Manhas from Delhi, one of the finest players of spin. Rajat Bhatia, again from Delhi.”
Ben Stokes won the toss in Dharamsala and elected to bat first.
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