Ravichandran Ashwin is a thinking cricketer, constantly reinventing himself, said former India batsman VVS Laxman, insisting that preparation is key to the roulette veteran’s success.
Ashwin recently became the fourth Indian pitcher to take 400 proving grounds, when he accomplished the feat by firing Jofra Archer in the pink ball event in Ahmedabad, which the hosts won by 10 wickets in two days.
The 34-year-old Aswin also became the second-fastest bowler to reach the benchmark after Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.
“I think he is (Ashwin) a very smart person. When you play at the highest level, it is not just about your ability, it is about your preparation, your planning and execution are fundamental.
“So find out what the batter’s weaknesses are. He plans those layoffs and that’s why I think he’s reinventing himself, ”said Laxman, a 134 test veteran, on Star Sports’ ‘Cricket Connected’ show.
To prove his point, Laxman cited the example of Steve Smith’s troubles against Ashwin during the recent Down Under tour of India.
“We saw recently in the Australian series how he (Ashwin) pissed off someone as great as Steve Smith and that’s another thing that makes Ashwin or any champion player special, that he wants to be the best and compete against the best,” he said. .
Former India starter Aakash Chopra also praised Ashwin, saying he is one of the biggest match winners the country has produced.
“78 test matches for 400 test windows. Let the detractors be! He has been absolutely phenomenal with the craft that he has shown over a period of time and as he grows as a bowler he is choosing a lot of terrains. So that question mark is also being answered pretty well, ”Chopra said.
“I feel like he’s an absolute rock star. He is one of the biggest match winners India has ever produced, of course Anil Kumble will continue to be at number one, ”added the 43-year-old, who has played 10 Tests for the country.
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