India legend Anil Kumble has nothing but praises for Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently reached the 500-wicket mark.
With a total of 516 wickets, Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests for India — behind Kumble with 619.
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Kumble recognizes Ashwin
During a function organized by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to congratulate Ashwin, Kumble said he saw how the 37-year-old overcame multiple challenges.
“Ashwin has had as many challenges thrown at him. He hasn’t allowed a single one of them to check his progress. He’s been an exceptional match-winner for the country for more than a decade, and the consistency he has shown is a great hallmark,” he said.
“That calls for utter and complete dedication to the cause.”
Kumbil, 53, is also in awe of Ashwin exceeding lofty expectations placed on him by the Indian fans.
“In India, once you have raised the bar to a certain level, it isn’t easy to keep performing. The expectations in every game are unrealistically high. Anything less than five wickets is considered a failure. Although unfair to the player concerned, Ashwin has managed that really well,” Kumble said.
‘Welcome to the 500-wicket club’
Kumbil recognized that Ashwin is never satisfied with being great, which reflects on his work ethic and performance.
“His numbers have been outstanding. There is no fun in stacking up the wickets if it doesn’t help the team win. He has an overwhelming correlation with his and India’s success. He’s seldom been satisfied with being very good or even excellent. Each day, he wants to be better than the previous one. That’s the sign of a great learner,” he said.
“So, welcome to the 500-wicket club. Congratulations, Ash. You have become a part of a very special club, and it’s great to have a fellow Indian spinner for company,” he ended.
