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If I get to 618, that will be my last Test: Ashwin

11:45AM Sun 22 Oct, 2017

R Ashwin, the ace India offspinner, showered praises on the legendary legspinner Anil Kumble and as a mark of respect said that if he ever reaches 618 Test wickets (one behind Kumble's tally of 619), he would retire from the game. The former legspinner had stepped down from his position as the India head coach ahead of the West Indies tour in June-July owing to Virat Kohli's reservations about his 'approach' towards coaching the national team.
When asked whether Kumble's haul of 619 wickets was at the back of his mind, the offspinner said: "Definitely not. I am a big fan of Anil Kumble and he has got 619 wickets. If I get to 618 wickets, I will be very thankful too and, and if I get to 618, that will be my last Test match," Ashwin was quoted as saying by Gulf News on Thursday (October 19).
Ashwin also commended Rangana Herath, the veteran Sri Lankan left-arm spinner, and noted that the 39-year-old looks for continuous improvement by combining the virtues of hard work and discipline. Herath became the 14th bowler to pick up 400 Test wickets when he took the scalp off Mohammad Abbas in the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
"Rangana Herath is one of my role models," Ashwin said. "I think he is a fabulous bowler. He just overcomes limitations every single day. Age does wear the body out over a period of time. As far as Herath is concerned, he just keeps proving that he is a champion cricketer and he can use pressure to his good advantage," he added.
Ashwin has an impressive record in the longest format of the game, having taken 292 scalps at 25.26 and with a strike rate of 52.4. He has also bagged 150 wickets at 32.91 in the ODI format. However, he has not been in great form in the 50-over format of late, evidenced by the fact that he has taken just 17 scalps at 40.58 since the 2015 World Cup.
Ashwin has also not been selected for three successive ODI series - against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. The 31-year-old observed that he can't comment on selection issues but he was focused on developing his craft 'every single day'.
"I don't have an answer to that because resting [a player] and making decisions are definitely not something that I can comment on," he noted. "Because I am not the one that is in charge and I am not the one who is responsible for making these decisions. So very clearly, as far as I am concerned, every day is about being better than what you have been previously. I am definitely focused on developing every single day and becoming a better cricketer because that is the only thing that will last. Tomorrow, if I am given an opportunity, I should be the best I can be and probably even better than the best that I can be."
In the recent past, playing conditions have become more batting-friendly, resulting in massive scores in the abridged versions of the game. Factors like field restrictions, size of bats, swing bowlers struggling to generate movement with the white Kookaburra, good surfaces for batting have led to teams racking up substantial totals. In addition to it, modern day batsmen also play with a sense of fearlessness.
Ashwin admitted that it has become tougher for bowlers to succeed in the international arena. "Obviously the scores are getting bigger and bigger and obviously the batsmen are getting better and better and you need to be able to adapt and I am definitely up for adapting to the different phases of the game," he said.
© Cricbuzz