Ex-India cricketer reveals ‘insulting’ Ravichandran Ashwin episode

Former Team India bowler Laxman Sivaramakrishnan accused the Rohit Sharma-led side’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin of mistreating him in a widely shared social media post that broke the internet.

On Wednesday, Ravichandran Ashwin joined an illustrious list of Indian cricketers who have appeared in 100 Test matches for the country. 

The fifth Test against England in Dharamsala is Ravichandran Ashwin’s 100th game in red-ball cricket and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan called him to congratulate him for accomplishing the monumental feat.

However, instead of responding to his calls, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan claimed that Ravichandran Ashwin was ignoring him and cutting his phone calls.

“Tried calling him a few times to wish him for his 100th Test. Just cut off my call. Sent him a message, no reply. That’s the respect we former cricketers get,” Laxman Sivaramakrishnan wrote on X. 

When a Twitter user pointed out that he had insulted Ravichandran Ashwin in the past, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan put out a clarification.

“This is a technical observation and not criticism, disrespect. This was with good intention. You people think offering suggestions is an insult or crime. God save you. I have been connected with 43 years of cricket experience. So I do have some knowledge of the game,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin made history in the previous Test against the Ben Stokes-led team in Ranchi.

With Rohit Sharma’s men trailing by 46 runs in the first essay, the Indian bowlers were under tremendous pressure to deliver the goods, especially on a turning track.

Under these circumstances, Ravichandran Ashwin stepped up a gear as he grabbed five crucial English wickets, including the all-important scalp of Joe Root.

During the course of his splendid performance against England at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi, Ravichandran Ashwin scripted multiple records.

The Tamil Nadu-born tweaker is now the highest wicket-taker for India in Tests at home, having surpassed the legendary Anil Kumble’s tally. While Anil Kumble took 350 wickets in home Test matches, Ravichandran Ashwin now has 354 wickets in India. Only Muthiah Muralidaran (493), James Anderson (434), and Stuart Broad (398) have more wickets than the Indian off-spinner in red-ball cricket at home.

It is worth highlighting that it was Ravichandran Ashwin’s 35th five-fors in Test cricket, the most for India, alongside former skipper Anil Kumble.

Only three other bowlers in the five-day format have grabbed for more five-wicket hauls, with Sri Lanka’s Muthiah Muralidaran topping the list with 67 five-fors. Muthiah Muralidaran is followed by Shane Warne (37) and Richard Hadlee (36).

Also, it was his 27th five-for in Tests at home, the second-highest by any bowler in the whites. He went past Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, who has 26. Herath’s Sri Lankan teammate Muthiah Muralidaran occupies the top spot with 45 five-wicket hauls.

The 37-year-old spinner has taken 16 five-fors while opening the bowling for India in Test matches. Overall, he has collected 170 wickets in Test matches when has opened the bowling for India. These 170 wickets have come at an average of 19.09 in just 51 innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin now has 91 wickets against England, the most against any opposition by an Indian bowler. Before him, Harbhajan Singh was the highest wicket-taker against Australia. He has 86 wickets in 14 Test matches.

At 37 years and 159 days, Ravichandran Ashwin is the second-oldest Indian to pick up a five-for in Test cricket. Vinoo Mankad is the oldest Indian to claim a five-wicket haul. He took five wickets against Pakistan in 1955.

Besides, Ranchi is the 19th Test venue where Ravichandran Ashwin has grabbed a five-for in India. Only three cricketers have picked up five-wicket hauls at more Test grounds than Ravichandran Ashwin. Muthiah Muralidaran is on top of the ladder with five-wicket hauls at 25 venues, while Shane Warne and Wasim Akram follow him with five-fors at 20 stadiums each. 

Australian legend Ricky Ponting described Ravichandran Ashwin as the master of spin.

“He’s a master of spin in any conditions. He’s been an incredible cricketer, no doubt about it,” Ricky Ponting told the ICC.

“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,” he added.

“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,” the former Australian World Cup-winning skipper emphasized.