"One of the biggest match-winners that India has ever produced" - Aakash Chopra on Ravichandran Ashwin

Aakash Chopra feels Ravichandran Ashwin is not celebrated enough as a Test bowler even though the off-spinner is one of India's biggest-ever match-winners.

Ashwin registered figures of 5/37 in Australia's second innings on the third day of the first Test in Nagpur on Saturday, February 11. The visitors were bowled out for a paltry 91 and lost the match by a massive margin of an innings and 132 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Ashwin is probably second only to Anil Kumble as a match-winner for India in the longest format, saying:

"Ravichandran Ashwin has picked up 450 wickets and unfortunately, we are still not celebrating him enough. Just like Rohit Sharma the Test opener, similarly Ravichandran Ashwin the Test bowler. One of the biggest match-winners that India has ever produced. Kumble sahab and then Ravichandran Ashwin."

While observing that most players attribute Ashwin's success to spin-friendly surfaces, the former Indian opener highlighted that the Tamil Nadu bowler outbowls all other spinners on such pitches:

"When you talk to a lot of cricketers, they say that these pitches are very bad, if you bowl here you will get wickets. Not everyone gets wickets. Four to five spinners play in a match, he still picks up the most wickets."

Ashwin, with eight scalps, was the most successful bowler in the Nagpur Test. Ravindra Jadeja, who accounted for seven dismissals, was equally penetrative and picked up a five-wicket haul in Australia's first innings when the pitch was most favorable for the batters.

"He knows how to pick up wickets" - Aakash Chopra on Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has 31 five-wicket hauls to his name in Test cricket. [P/C: BCCI]

On the flip side, Chopra acknowledged that falling defensive batting standards have helped Ashwin's cause to an extent, explaining:

"It means he knows how to pick up wickets and in different, different conditions as well. Any batter might come in front of him, he finds a way to pick up wickets. One thing has definitely changed, although you shouldn't compare eras, the defensive game of the batters has gone slightly down."

However, the renowned commentator concluded by stating that Ashwin cannot be denied credit for his achievements:

"The pitches are slightly helpful but the matches shouldn't end in two to two-and-a-half days on such pitches. These days all matches end, only a rare match goes to the fifth day. That is something that has changed but that should not take anything away or undermine what Ashwin is doing for Team India. I think he is a gun player."

Ravichandran Ashwin is the only Asian cricketer to have 3000 runs and 450 wickets in Test history.

Ashwin has scalped 457 wickets at an excellent average of 24.05 in 89 Tests. He is the second fastest to the 450-wicket mark in terms of number of Tests, only behind Muttiah Muralitharan.