Team India registered a huge win by an innings and 222 runs against Sri Lanka in the opening game of the two-match Test series at the PCA stadium in Mohali. The match also witnessed some significant landmarks; it was Virat Kohli’s 100th Test and Rohit Sharma’s first game as full-time Test skipper. During the course of the game, however, India’s leading off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also achieved a massive feat in Indian cricket.
R Ashwin went past Kapil Dev’s overall wicket tally in Test cricket (434) to become the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the longest format of the game. Only Anil Kumble (619 wickets) has more dismissals under his belt than the 35-year-old spinner. Following the victory against Sri Lanka, captain Rohit labeled Ashwin an “all-time great.”
During the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma said, “He is an all-time great in my eyes. He is playing for so many years and performed for the country. So many match-winning performances, so for me, he is an all-time great. People might have different point of views but from where I see, he is an all-time great for me.”
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However, former Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Rashid Latif said that while Ashwin is ‘best’ in Indian conditions, India has produced better bowlers than him when it comes to bowling on foreign soil.
In the latest video on his Youtube channel, Rashid Latif said, “Ashwin, no doubt, is a great bowler. He has brought variations to his bowling. If you look at Ashwin in home conditions with SG ball, no doubt he is the best spinner in India. However, in away conditions, I would not agree with his (Rohit’s) statement.”
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He further added, “Kumble was very good, he performed really well. Even Jadeja has performed really well. In the past, Bishan Singh Bedi was brilliant. If we talk only in India, no doubt he is good. I think it (Rohit’s statement) might have been a slip of tongue. It is a way of motivating the players.”
India will be coming back to action in the second and final Test of the series against Sri Lanka – which will be a day/night affair – on March 12.
