India vs England 2024
Team India veteran praises Ravichandran Ashwin’s fitness levels ahead of his 100th Test
India have already clinched the series 3-1 with one game to go in the five-match Test series against England
As Ravichandran Ashwin prepares for his 100th Test on Thursday in Dharamsala, renowned Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara showed respect to the latter. Pujara praised Ashwin for being one of the most fit cricket players even as he aged 37.
The skilled off-spinner will play in his 100th Test match, making him the 14th Indian athlete to do so. The 37-year-old, who made his debut in 2011, has grown to be one of India’s top match-winners, particularly at home. In addition, he has five centuries in Test matches, three of which were in India.
In his piece for ESPNCricinfo, Pujara predicted that even if Ashwin bowled 35–40 overs the day before, he would still be just as motivated the following day.
He said, “When you are playing the longer format, bowling fitness is the most important thing, and Ash is probably one of the fittest I have known. If he ends up bowling 30, 35, 40 overs in a day, when he bowls again the next morning, his body might be a little fatigued, but he still has the stamina to carry on.”
During the series versus England, the Team India spinner has encountered pressure a few times. Nevertheless, he is now the fourth-highest wicket-taker over the entire series after taking 17 wickets in four Test matches.
“We became close friends by talking cricket” : Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara
The batsman from Saurashtra said that Ashwin had a very smart intellect and joked that no one was capable of winning an argument with the off-spinner.
The Team India batter added, “We became close friends by talking cricket. Most times we are on the same side, but you can never win an argument against him. He is very smart, and his vocabulary is probably among the best in the cricketing fraternity. I wish I had his incredible memory. That is probably because he has a mind that is always ticking. Away from cricket, he is a voracious reader, enjoys chess online, and is open to learning new things.”
