Suresh and Mahesh are big cricket fans. They follow cricket and do not miss even watching a single ball in Test match also! They are so crazy of cricket. They critically evaluate each and everything related to cricket. They are best friends also. But when it comes to their favourite cricketers, their taste varies. They do not get their friendship in between their arguments. They argue to prove their point. Here is an exclusive conversation between the duo:
Suresh: Ashwin has again made us proud. Just imagine, what will happen to Indian cricket team without Ashwin.
Mahesh: Ashwin was really awesome. But don’t you think, you are praising him too much?
S: He deserves to be. He took 27 wickets in the latest test series. He is the greatest spinner ever for India.
M: So what? He is not the first spinner to do so. Many Indian spinners have also claimed so many wickets before. Anil Kumble and Bhajji too picked so many wickets.
S: You are a Harbhajan fan. No wonder, you are jealous like Bhajji. His latest tweets about Ashwin prove it.
M: I do not want to get into Harbhajan’s tweets now. That was his personal view.
S: What was personal in that? It clearly proves that he is jealous.
M: He was not wrong. Pitches in India favour spinners nowadays in India. So he has been able to take more wickets.
S: Oh yes. As if the pitches were not favouring spinners before. Indian pitches always favour spinners. Ashwin has performed well, so he has taken wickets.
M: Nobody is taking away his credit. He deserves all the success. But calling him the best spinner ever is unfair.
S: Bro, he is. He is second fastest bowler to take 200 wickets in test.
M: But how many of them were in overseas?
S: Come on. Now do not get this overseas versus Indian pitches.
M: Figure says it all. Numbers are indeed poor. In nine Tests, spread out over four years from 2011 to 2015 in overseas, he has averaged 56.58. He has performed well in India. But to be best spinner, he has to perform well overseas as well as at home.
S: He may have not performed well abroad, but that is because pitches favour fast bowlers there.
M: Here you go. Somebody told me a few minutes before that it’s all about performance.
S: Yes, I do agree. But he is the best spinner at present for the Indian team.
M: Yes, he surely is. There is no doubt about that. But calling him the greatest ever is too early.
S: Ok, I rest my case.
Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the main assets for the Indian cricket team. He has performed extremely well in India. If he matches the same performance overseas, he will surely make into the list of greatest cricketers from India.
