Joe Root's 'Ashwin always find ways to…' admiration is tribute to India's spin wizard ahead of landmark 100th Test
Joe Root was all praise for R Ashwin, who is set to record his 100th Test appearance for India in the final game of the England series.
Just when the batting monkey was growing on Joe Root's back in the India Test series, the former England skipper silenced his critics with a brilliant century against Rohit Sharma's men at Ranchi. In conversation with former England skippers Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain, batting maestro Root saluted the bowling brilliance of veteran Ravichandran Ashwin. All-rounder Ashwin bagged his 500th Test wicket in the five-match series between India and England.
The senior spinner is all set to achieve another major milestone in his glittering Test career. Spin wizard Ashwin will record his 100th Test appearance in the fifth and final Test of the England series at Dharamsala's Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. Root-starrer England will hope to salvage some pride after losing the series to India. Rohit and Co. outclassed England in Ranchi to take an unassailable 3-1 lead over the visitors prior to the final encounter in Dharamsala.
'Ashwin is always trying to find ways of getting you out'
Giving Ashwin a special mention, Root admitted that the star bowler is a constant threat to the England batters. "Ashwin is always trying to find ways of getting you out rather than trying to wear you down, over long periods of time. He uses creases differently from traditional off-spinners. He uses over-spin, side-spin, can get really tight to the stumps, can go wider and he has got the carrom ball, you know, a lot of different tricks," Root said on Sky Sports cricket podcast.
Ashwin breaks Kumble's record
Ashwin recently shattered Anil Kumble's record for most Test wickets in India. Ashwin also matched Kumble's record of 35 five-wicket hauls. Spinner Ashwin has 354 wickets for India at home. No bowler has taken more than 35 fifers for India. Ashwin has picked up 17 wickets in the five-match England series. "So, you will have to be really wary of different threats that he poses and make sure that you have very good skill sets to counter (him) and be on top of him. Ashwin is making sure that you don't play the previous ball. He is very good at trying to drag you across the crease and get your head to one side of it and beat both edges quite frequently," Root added.