Indian cricket great Anil Kumble showered praise on Ravichandran Ashwin highlighting the veteran's journey to 500 Test wickets during an event in Chennai on Sunday.
Ashwin entered the history books after record-breaking spells in the recently concluded five-match Test series against England at home. He was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 26 wickets in 10 innings despite a below-average performance in the first two games.
The 37-year-old off-break spinner reached the 500-wicket mark in the fourth Test match in Rajkot and then concluded the series with nine wickets across two innings in Dharamsala. Ashwin now boasts 519 wickets in 100 Test matches at an average of 23.75 with 36 five-wicket hauls.
Ashwin became the only second bowler after Kumble to record 500 Test wickets. Kumble, who took 619 wickets in 132 Tests, was present at an event organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to felicitate Ashwin for completing 500 Test wickets on Sunday.
The former Test captain highlighted Ashwin's match-winning approach and a remarkable consistency to achieve 500 Test wickets. Kumble also reveals how Ashwin's wickets contributed to India's success in red-ball cricket and praises Ashwin for wanting to improve.
"Ashwin has had as many challenges thrown at him," Kumble said. "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 that he has shown is a great hallmark.
"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."
