"How do you try to judge or measure his greatness?" - Aakash Chopra lauds Ravichandran Ashwin for reaching the 500-wicket mark in Tests
Aakash Chopra reckons the number of Player of the Series awards Ravichandran Ashwin has won could be a yardstick to judge his greatness.
Ashwin became the ninth bowler and fifth spinner to pick up 500 Test wickets when he dismissed Zak Crawley on the second day of the third Test between India and England in Rajkot on Friday, February 16. The visitors ended the day at 207/2 after Rohit Sharma and company were bowled out for 445.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra lauded Ashwin for becoming the second-fastest bowler to 500 Test wickets.
"Ravichandran Ashwin - spinners are not known for their speed but second-fastest to reach that milestone. How do you try to judge or measure his greatness? A huge thing is how many Player of the Match or Player of the Series awards you won," he said (0:20).
The former India opener noted that the off-spinner is one of the greatest match-winners in the history of Test cricket.
"In India, no one has got more than him and he has played 98 matches only. I think he is No. 2 in the entire world as well, but a legit repeated, serial match-winner, Man of the Series winner. His performances have been amazing," Chopra added.
Ashwin has won the Player of the Series award on 10 occasions in Test cricket. He is behind only Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan, who bagged the accolade 11 times and was also the fastest to 500 Test wickets.
"Ravichandran Ashwin's evolution as a bowler is very important" - Aakash Chopra
![Ravichandran Ashwin is known for frequently adding new deliveries to his arsenal. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/02/35346-17080966521737-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra noted that Ravichandran Ashwin had to develop new deliveries once the Doosra was banned.
"Ravichandran Ashwin's evolution as a bowler is very important because the Doosra was allowed when he started playing. Then when the Doosra wasn't allowed, you needed to find things to remain relevant, you had to do something different and he did that," he stated (2:20).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the wily spinner has been virtually equally effective against right and left-handed batters.
"He developed the carrom ball. He developed that patience and tried to pick up wickets in different fashions. He succeeded in that. His numbers are amazing against both left-handed and right-handed batters. If he has dismissed 251 right-handers, he has dismissed 249 left-handers as well," Chopra observed.
Chopra claimed Ashwin's success can't be attributed to rank turners in India, pointing out that he outbowls the other spinners on the same surface. He added that the Tamil Nadu bowler is adept at both cleaning up the tail and dismissing the openers with the new ball, a quality that is generally not seen in spinners.