Dinesh Karthik explodes on Ravichandran Ashwin treatment; calls out Indian cricketers and ex-cricketers

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes Ravichandran Ashwin should be recognized as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders.

Dinesh Karthik said that Ravichandran Ashwin has impressive records with both the bat and ball, which reflect his exceptional contributions to the sport.

Ravichandran Ashwin delivered an impressive all-round performance at his home ground in Chennai. He scored 113 runs in India's first innings of the series opener.

Ashwin didn't take any wickets in Bangladesh's first innings but bounced back with a six-wicket haul in their second innings.

Have To Put Ravichandran Ashwin In The List Of Greats - Dinesh Karthik

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik highlighted that Ravichandran Ashwin is just behind Ian Botham in terms of hundreds and five-wicket hauls in a match. Karthik said that fans and experts should recognize Ashwin's achievements rather than focus solely on his occasional setbacks.

"Some of the records that he's tumbling are just quite flabbergasting, to say the least. You have to put him in the greats of the game who has played among all-rounders. We speak about the number of hundreds and fifers taken in one game, he is just behind Ian Botham," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

"You speak about the number of wickets picked, he's just eighth in that list. If you see the strike rates of the bowlers who have picked more than 400 wickets, only Dale Steyn is ahead of him. Sometimes I feel we are a tad bit unfair to him when we say, 'Oh, he's not done well. Oh, he could have done better here.'"

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined for a 199-run partnership for the seventh wicket after India was put into bat on Day 1. The Men in Blue recovered from a challenging position of 144-6 to finish with 376 runs. Jadeja scored 86 runs with the help of 10 boundaries and two sixes.

Ravichandran Ashwin Is The Deal Breaker - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik also said that Ravichandran Ashwin has become an irreplaceable player for India in the home Test series. Karthik stated that India's chances of success will be impacted by Ashwin's presence in the team.

"There was a phase in Indian cricket where you could do away with one or two batters if they were not around but you couldn't do away without Anil Kumble. I think Ashwin has taken over that mantle where you can't play a home series without him. He is the deal breaker. It's a make-or-break if Ashwin is there in the team or not," Karthik added.

Ashwin equaled Shane Warne's record for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, trailing only Muttiah Muralitharan, who holds the record with 67.

Ashwin is eighth on the all-time wicket-takers list with 522 wickets at an impressive bowling average of 23.70 over 101 Test matches.

The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer has also scored 3,422 runs in his Test career at an average of 26.94, including six centuries. Ashwin will next be seen in action during the second Test match against Bangladesh, scheduled to be played at Green Park in Kanpur, starting on September 27.

Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin forgets all Indian teammates after Chennai Test; credits this member instead