Rohit Sharma calling Ravichandran Ashwin ‘all-time great’ must be slip of tongue, says former Pakistan star

Team India continued their winning run with an impressive win over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Mohali. While the game was Virat Kohli’s 100th Test, and Rohit Sharma led India for the first time in Test cricket, it was Ravindra Jadeja who stole all the headlines with his all-round display. 

Ravichandran Ashwin also flexed his all-round capabilities as the spin legend scored a fifty and registered six wickets against Sri Lanka to hand India a win by an inning and 222 runs. 

While Jadeja’s match-winning knock of 175* proved to be the turning point in the game, Ravichandran Ashwin also performed admirably well with both the bat and the ball. 

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After the game, team India skipper Rohit hailed Ashwin by calling him an ‘all-time great’, as he surpassed the tally of Kapil Dev’s 434 Test wickets, to become India’s second-highest wicket-taker in the purest format. 

Thank you so much Paijee. A text message from you made my day even sweeter https://t.co/fXuueGBICH
— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) March 6, 2022

Only Anil Kumble (619 wickets) has more dismissals in the format than Ashwin. 

“He is an all-time great in my eyes. He is playing for so many years and performed for the country. So many match-winning performances, so for me, he is an all-time great. People might have different point of views but from where I see, he is an all-time great for me,” Rohit Sharma stated in his post-match comments. 

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Whereas, former Pakistan wicket-keeper Rashid Latif has argued that while Ashwin’s record in home tests has been immaculate, India have produced better bowlers for overseas Tests over the years. 

A perfect beginning to his Test captaincy

We take a look at the series of events when @ImRo45 led #TeamIndia in whites at Mohali for the first time.  #INDvSL | @Paytm

Watch this special feature https://t.co/C3A0kZExWC pic.twitter.com/XxF19t6GsI
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2022

“Ashwin, no doubt, is a great bowler. He has brought variations to his bowling. If you look at Ashwin in home conditions with SG ball, no doubt he is the best spinner in India. However, in away conditions, I would not agree with his (Rohit’s) statement. Kumble was very good, he performed really well. Even Jadeja has performed really well. In the past, Bishan Singh Bedi was brilliant,” said Latif on his youtube channel. 

“If we talk only in India, no doubt he is good. I think it (Rohit’s statement) might have been a slip of tongue. It is a way of motivating the players,” the former Pakistani player observed further. 

Meanwhile, Team India’s next assignment will be at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru which will be the last game of Sri Lanka’s tour.