Ponting lauds ‘master of spin’ Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin stands on the verge of becoming the 14th Indian cricketer to reach the milestone of 100 Test matches, marking a remarkable and illustrious career that many aspiring players dream of.

Records have been tumbling every game Ashwin tweaks his arm over – in the ongoing series against England, he not only surpassed the 500-wicket mark but also overtook Anil Kumble for the most Test wickets in India and the highest number of five-wicket hauls. Currently, he trails only behind ICC Hall of Famers Muttiah Muralidaran, Shane Warne and Richard Hadlee for Test five-fors.

Ponting worked closely with Ashwin at Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where the former Australian captain is the head coach.

"He's a master of spin in any conditions," Ponting said. "He's been an incredible cricketer, no doubt about it.

"I had a chance to coach him for a couple of years at Delhi, and loved working with him. He's got a lot of theories and philosophies on the game, which I really like. He's always done things a little bit differently and done things his own way. But he just continued to evolve as a bowler.

"That's the thing that I loved about him when I was coaching him, he'd stand at the end of his mark and he'd be working on something different, a little tweak to his action or a change of grip or a different delivery. He's never been one that was going to die wondering about trying to find ways to get better."

India has the series in the bag after taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fourth Test in Ranchi but their focus now shifts to the final game in Dharamsala, where they will aim to accumulate crucial World Test Championship points and make it a memorable occasion for Ashwin's 100th Test.

Rohit Sharma's men are currently ranked No.1 in the WTC25 standings and will be looking to hold on to it, having surged to the top courtesy of Australia's win over New Zealand in Wellington.