Ravichandran Ashwin

At 38, Ravichandran Ashwin’s preparation for a “tough” long season ahead differs from what it used to be a decade ago, and the star spinner on Sunday admitted that it is now more about taking one match at a time than fitting the whole season in a single frame.

Ashwin’s name features four times on the list – more than Sir Garfield Sobers, Imran Khan, Jacques Kallis and so many of the game’s great all-rounders.

Hunting in pair is an often-used maxim about fast bowlers, but Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have given a new spin to it, consistently troubling the opposition in more ways than one.

The pair, which is mostly renowned for their bowling heroics, added 195 runs in just 227 balls for the seventh wicket, thus stitching a perfect rescue act for India after the team was reduced to 144/6.

Starting the season like this will go a long way to ensuring that he can’t be sidelined once India land in Australia later this year.

Jasprit Bumrah will be seen spearheading the Indian attack in the absence of senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Bumrah has so far played 36 Test matches with 159 wickets to his name after making his debut in 2018.

What isn't broken shouldn't be mended is the mantra of new India bowling coach Morne Morkel, who loves how the Indian cricket set-up runs on autopilot and says his new assignment will involve helping that system "get better in small ways".

Ashwin sees Riaz Hassan and Bahir Shah as key players who could help strengthen Afghanistan’s batting lineup.

Ashwin was pinning his argument on the leg before dismissal of India D batsman Ricky Bhui against India C left-arm spinner Manav Suthar in Duleep Trophy on Friday evening.

Seasoned India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that the IPL's 'Impact Player' rule has made the game fairer and added "value for strategy" in the event.

The method of dismissal known as "mankading," where the bowler runs out the non-striker for backing up too far, garnered significant attention when Ashwin used it to dismiss Jos Buttler in the IPL 2019.

R Ashwin's father, Ravichandran, credits Sunil Subramaniam for refining Ashwin's early cricket skills. Subramaniam, a talented 1990s spinner who later became a coach, taught Ashwin the intricacies of spin bowling.

Ashwin also has urged bowlers to start working on their batting skills in order to meet the demands of the game

Premier India spinner R Ashwin believes that the IPL has become so "huge" that occasionally cricket itself is sidelined.

What stands out for Dravid is Ashwin's quest for excellence and being ever inquisitive about the game of glorious uncertainties, which he finds challenging as a coach.

It was a memorable 100th test match in Dharamsala for India's spin spearhead, who finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 26 dismissals.

India vs England 2024 5th Test: Centuries from Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma and a nine-wicket haul for R Ashwin helped the hosts win by an innings and 64 runs and claim the series 4-1.

R. Ashwin took four wickets on Day 1 of the fifth Test between India and England. This was the 100th Test of R. Ashwin's career, and the umpteenth where his finger spin bowling yielded rich dividends for India.

IND v ENG 5th Test in Dharamshala will be R. Ashwin's 100th Test for India. Ashwin made his Test debut in Delhi in November 2011. His six for 47 against West Indies in the second innings on debut earned him the first of numerous Player of the Match awards.