Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has praised recently retired Ravichandran Ashwin’s impact on the game, saying the veteran off-spinner always stood out for his incredibly sharp cricketing mind. Ashwin, 38, announced his sudden retirement from international cricket immediately after India’s third Test against Australia (a match in which he was not selected) at the Gabba in Brisbane ended in a draw. Announced. Ashwin ended his 14-year international career with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 Tests, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taker after legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble. He also took a staggering 37 five-wicket hauls in Tests, the second-highest in the history of the game, and eight ten-wicket hauls.
“Well, I have to admit that I was really surprised to hear that Ravi Ashwin has retired. I mean, he was a great stalwart of Indian cricket. His performance at home has been outstanding. . Our results at home are just as good.”
“He will go down as one of the best spin bowlers of all time and one of the best Indian cricketers of all time. It was a pleasure to coach him at Capitals. He is one of the sharpest cricket minds I have ever met,” Ponting said in a video posted by ICC on its Instagram account.
Ashwin also scored six Test centuries and 14 fifties with his long bat. His last international match was a day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide, where he took 1-53 in 18 overs and scored 29 runs with the bat as India lost by 10 wickets.
Ashwin also played 116 ODIs for India, taking 156 wickets, and was a member of the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning teams. Ashwin also played 65 T20I matches and took 72 wickets.
“The way he looks at batsmen, the way he analyzes batsmen and the way he finds himself almost like Shane Warne is one step ahead of what the batsmen are trying to do. That’s why he remains such a great bowler. His game is great,” Ponting added.
Ashwin was one of the 11 all-rounders to complete the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests. He has also won the Player of the Series award 11 times, tied with Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan. He will be seen playing for five-time champions Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025.
“He’s still going to be in the IPL and I’m going to play against him again this year. But a great career, one that I was lucky to be a part of and I think we’ll see a lot more of in the future. “As his career progresses, so will Ravi Ashwin’s wickets and more highlights,” concluded Ponting.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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