IND vs SL 2022: "Might have been a slip of tongue" - Rashid Latif disagrees with Rohit Sharma's 'all-time great' comment on Ravichandran Ashwin
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif doesn't agree that Ravichandran Ashwin is an 'all-time great' of Indian cricket.
Ashwin went past the great Kapil Dev's tally of 434 wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka and became India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests. After the game, skipper Rohit Sharma heaped praise on Ashwin and stated that the off-spinner is an all-time great of Indian cricket.
Here's what the Indian captain had to say about 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."
As far as the Indian conditions and the SG ball are concerned, Latif too believes Ravichandran Ashwin is the best spinner that India have. He stated:
“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, he believes that may be restricted to home conditions and that Rohit Sharma might have made that statement just to boost Ashwin's confidence. Latif opined:
“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.”
Kumble, Jadeja better than Ravichandran Ashwin in away conditions: Rashid Latif
Latif went on to state that former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble and star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have enjoyed more success than Ashwin in away conditions. He said:
“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.”
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India's next assignment against Sri Lanka will be a pink ball Test in Bengaluru commencing on March 12.