"One of the fittest I have known" - Cheteshwar Pujara on Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of his 100th Test
Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara has paid tribute to Ravichandran Ashwin as the latter gears up for his 100th Test this week in Dharamsala. Even as Ashwin turned 37, Pujara lauded him as one of the fittest cricketers.
The seasoned off-spinner will become the 14th Indian player to play his 100th Test. Having debuted in 2011, the 37-year-old has become one of India's biggest match-winners, especially at home. He also has five Test centuries, three of which have come in India.
In his column for ESPNCricinfo, Pujara suggested that Ashwin would turn up the next day with the same intensity even if he bowled 35-40 overs the previous day.
"When you are playing the longer format, bowling fitness is the most important thing, and Ash is probably one of the fittest I have known. If he ends up bowling 30, 35, 40 overs in a day, when he bowls again the next morning, his body might be a little fatigued, but he still has the stamina to carry on," he said.
The Saurashtra batter observed that Ashwin's mind was very sharp, jokingly suggesting that no one could win an argument against the off-spinner.
"We became close friends by talking cricket. Most times we are on the same side, but you can never win an argument against him. He is very smart, and his vocabulary is probably among the best in the cricketing fraternity. I wish I had his incredible memory. That is probably because he has a mind that is always ticking. Away from cricket, he is a voracious reader, enjoys chess online, and is open to learning new things," he added.
The spinner has found himself under pressure on a few occasions in the series against England. But he has still picked up 17 wickets in four Tests and is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the series so far.
"When it comes to my favorite Test involving Ash, there are too many to just single one out" - Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara continued by stating that Ashwin has also played some of the best second-fiddles in India's wins and listed out some of his best performances. The 36-year-old rated his display against Australia in Bengaluru in 2017 as the best, saying:
"More than making individual runs, he has contributed to valuable partnerships. Take our stand in the first innings in 2018 in Adelaide, which was crucial to our win in that Test, which set up the series.
"When it comes to my favourite Test involving Ash, there are too many to just single one out. There's Bangalore 2017. Adelaide 2018. Sydney 2021. All these were against Australia. Overall, and Ash would agree, those of us who played the Bangalore Test believe it ranks high among the most memorable ones."
Pujara believes the veteran spinner deserves the landmark of playing 100 Tests, given how he takes every challenge head-on. He added:
"Having just become the second quickest bowler to 500 Test wickets, Ash now deserves another equally significant landmark - of 100 Tests. He's probably a little late getting there for various reasons. But I am really happy for him. He is someone who has always been ready to take the challenge on and do the hard yards for the team. He deserves it the most."
Along with Ashwin, Jonny Bairstow will also play his 100th Test in Dharamsala.