Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s veteran off-spinner, has etched his name in cricket history by equaling the record for Player of the Series awards after India’s 2-0 Test series victory over Bangladesh. Ashwin’s remarkable partnership with fellow-spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been instrumental in India’s success, particularly on home soil.
Together, Ashwin and Jadeja have amassed an astonishing 830 Test wickets, with Ashwin claiming the lion’s share of 527. Despite the occasional selection dilemma when only one of them is chosen for the playing XI, Ashwin has emphasized that it no longer affects him.
However, Ashwin admitted that he used to harbor resentment towards Jadeja when the latter was preferred over him. “It used to bother me at one point of time,” Ashwin confessed. “But, it doesn’t anymore because the larger goal is at the forefront of my mind.”
Ashwin went on to praise Jadeja’s exceptional all-round abilities, highlighting his status as the second left-arm spinner with 300 Test wickets and over 3000 runs. “If he’s the one that has to play, he’s the one that has to play and I have complete faith in him,” Ashwin stated.
Earlier this week, Jadeja became the third Indian cricketer to achieve the rare feat of 3,000 Test runs and 300 Test wickets, joining Ashwin and Kapil Dev in an elite club.
Meanwhile, Ashwin has made history by becoming the first bowler to take at least 50 wickets in all three editions of the World Test Championship (WTC). He achieved this milestone during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, dismissing Shakib Al Hasan for 9.
Ashwin, currently ranked as the world’s top Test bowler, has taken 50 wickets in just 10 WTC matches, making him the second-highest wicket-taker in WTC history behind Australia’s Nathan Lyon.
