In a major surprise, Ravichandran Ashwin ignored his teammates Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma when asked about the best cover drive and best pull shot. Instead, Ashwin picked former England opener Marcus Trescothick and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
Ashwin sprung this surprise a few days ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh. When asked the question, Ashwin was expected to mention the names of his current India teammates who are excellent at these shots respectively. However, Ashwin, as he usually does, pulled out something different.
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Virat Kohli doesn’t play the best cover drive, believes Ravichandran Ashwin
During an interview on the YouTube channel ‘Vimal Kumar’, host Vimal Kumar asked Ravichandran Ashwin a series of questions. During a quick Q&A session, the Indian off-spinner was asked about the name of the batsman with the best cover drive.
Most viewers were expecting the same answer, but surprisingly, it wasn’t Virat Kohli. Ashwin picked Marcus Trescothick as the batsman with the best cover drive. Trescothick played 76 Test matches for England and scored 5825 runs at an average of 43.79. The left-hander is considered one of the best openers in England’s history.
Rohit Sharma not playing the best shot, believes Ravichandran Ashwin
Meanwhile, Ashwin was also asked about the batsman with the best pull shot. While everyone expected him to say Rohit Sharma’s name, he picked Ricky Ponting for that particular shot. Ponting is considered one of the best batsmen to have ever played the game.
During his tenure, he led Australia to two ODI World Cup titles, in 2003 and 2007. Ponting was a brilliant jump-shot player during his playing days and was rarely caught short. He is also the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin will be in action in India’s upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Ashwin has played 100 Tests and has taken 516 wickets at an average of 23.75. He is second on the list of most wickets-takers for India in Test cricket, just behind Anil Kumble.
Ravichandran Ashwin talks about his retirement plans
During the interview, Ravichandran Ashwin was also asked about his retirement plans. The veteran spin bowler is currently 37 years old but is keen to play for a few more years. He revealed that he wants to focus on the present and not think too much about the future.
Apart from Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will also be in action in the Test series against Bangladesh. Rohit Sharma will lead the team. The series is the start of a gruelling red-ball season for India, who will play 10 Tests in the next four months.
After the series against Bangladesh, India will play a three-match Test series against New Zealand at home. They will also travel to Australia for five Test matches in the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.