Ex-India coach Shastri hails just-retired R Ashwin; says he was never satisfied and pushed himself to improve
R Ashwin. Pic/AFP
Ravichandran Ashwin’s constant drive to evolve and excel in his craft, coupled with his focus on self-improvement rather than being concerned about the opponents made him stand out, says former India coach Ravi Shastri.
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The 38-year-old announced his retirement in the middle of the Test series against Australia. “What stands out for me was his wanting to evolve all the time. He wasn’t the kind of guy satisfied as to where he started,” Shastri said on The ICC Review. “For me it was his guile, wanting to excel in his craft and [especially] in the last two-three years the way he got the ball to the way, gave it a rip and got it to dip on the batsman with drift made him stand out,” Shastri said.
Ravi Shastri
Known for his relentless drive to develop his game, Ashwin consistently worked on new deliveries and refined his action, even in the later stages of his career. “He wanted new tricks to be learned. He pursued it, practiced hard at it and continued to look for new things as his career progressed, to keep up with the times,” Shastri said. “His legacy will be of being a terrific match-winner, a fabulous record, 537 sticks. I mean anyone over 500 [in Test cricket] is special.”
Ashwin passes baton to Sundar in filmy style
Amidst all the tributes pouring in for R Ashwin, he wished fellow off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar in a way which seemed like a passing of the baton moment. On Wednesday, shortly after Ashwin announced his retirement, Sundar penned a heartfelt tribute on his social media accounts. In reply, Ashwin wrote, ‘Thuppakiya pudinga Washi!’ The line is a nod to a famous dialogue from the recent Tamil film, G.O.A.T., where actor Vijay passes his mantle to Sivakarthikeyan.
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