Ravichandran Ashwin on 100-test milestone: ‘It’s just a number’

Ravichandran Ashwin is set to complete 100 Tests in the fifth and final match of England’s tour starting Thursday in Dharamsala.

Here is what he said about the landmark:

ON 100TH TEST

It does not mean anything to me. It means a lot to my wife and my mom. My daughters are more excited than I am. It’s just a number.

ON GETTING BENCHED OVERSEAS
It’s always disappointing not to play a particular game for your country. I would make peace with it saying the team definitely took the decision in the best interest of the team. I don’t think any captain or any coach really wants to leave out a player who’s really of use in that particular game.

ON HIS BEST BOWLING PERFORMANCES
…one of the finest spells I have bowled has to be the one in Birmingham in 2018. I got three wickets on the morning of day three. I got Cook, Root and Jennings. I got seven wickets in the game. I felt like I had almost bowled India to victory, but it didn’t happen. A Test in Bangalore [2017] where I bowled a spell on day-two morning not for many rewards. And day one at Centurion in 2018 again against South Africa. I got a four-for. It could have been six or seven but it didn’t happen. That was a good spell. Those are three spells that will stand out.

ON MOST CHALLENGING BATSMEN
I’ve loved bowling to Steven Smith, [Kane] Williamson and Joe Root. They’re some of the finest batters going around the world right now. In first-class cricket, [S] Badrinath, I felt he was one of the finest batters of spin. Then Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia from Delhi. These are some of the batters that I would have completely not wanted to encounter in international cricket.