Former Indian opener, Gautam Gambhir showered the veteran Indian all-rounder, Ravichandran Ashwin with praise as he called the spinner as the greatest ever match-winner for India after Anil Kumble. 34-year-old Ashwin, who is just 8 wickets short of his 400 Test wickets, brought up his 5th Test century on Day 3 of the second Test match against England in Chennai.

When Ashwin came out to bat, the Indian team was reeling at 106 for 6 but Ashwin joined hands with the captain and partnered for 96 runs before playing around the tailenders and completing his ton. Calling former India captain Anil Kumble India’s greatest ever match-winner, Gautam Gambhir said that he scored one Test hundred and took 619 wickets in his career which spanned over 18 years.

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During a show on Star Sports, Gambhir said, “There was so much talk about wicket and stuff, so many people talked that this is unplayable and stuff. He has shown it that he can do it with the ball and he can do it with the bat as well. He always had the talent, you can’t have 5 Test hundred if you don’t have talent and what better to get it at a place where you have actually grown up, You have always dreamt of getting runs and especially Test hundred on your home ground.”

He further added, “He always goes under the radar a little bit, because there are players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah. What he has done in Test cricket for India is unbelievable, I don’t see many players who have got five Test hundreds and are close to getting 400 Test wickets. If I see the greatest match-winner India ever have had, it’s Ravichandran Ashwin.”

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Ashwin has now become the only second international all-rounder after Ian Botham to achieve the double of a hundred and five wickets in the same match on more than two occasions.