Ravichandran Ashwin recently became only the second Indian with over 500 wickets in Test cricket. The spin-maestro took 98 matches to reach the milestone and was the second-fastest among nine men to reach the elusive feat. Ashwin was felicitated by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) on Saturday for scalping 500 wickets and featuring in 100 Tests.
The spinner was praised by several cricketing icons like Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth. Gavaskar called Ashwin a terrific cricketer, while Srikkanth doubled it with his views. "I congratulate Ashwin on reaching the landmark of 100 Tests and 500 Test wickets. He's had an absolutely terrific career in all formats of the game, especially in Tests. Wishing him all the best for his future. We don't know when he hangs up his boots, but he has been an absolutely terrific cricketer," said Gavaskar.
"If Ashwin has played 100 Tests and taken 500 wickets, one man responsible for that is sitting here as the chief guest - N Srinivasan. It is a fantastic achievement for Ashwin.
His self-belief is one of the prime reasons for his success. Well done Ashwin. Congratulations," Srikkanth said.
Dinesh Karthik, who is Ashwin's India and Tamil Nadu teammate also hailed Ashwin's journey. "What a journey it has been! Phenomenal and outstanding, especially the fact that he has become the first Tamil Nadu player to do so. He (Ashwin) will be an inspiration to many other cricketers not only in Tamil Nadu but around the world as well.
"What he has achieved, we all should embrace it, enjoy it and be as happy as possible for a man who has toiled and has constantly been so innovative. He has pushed the boundaries in all formats and pushed his body too," Karthik said.
Surreal effort, and superhuman at times. Good luck with all your future endeavours. It's been an honour and pleasure to share the dressing room with you and be part of the success as well," he added.
