Dhoni Always Backed Me, Says Ravichandran Ashwin On How He Replaced Harbhajan Singh As India's Primary Spinner
Published - 28 Jul 2020, 01:12 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:32 AM
Harbhajan Singh was already an all-time great when Ravichandran Ashwin was trying to find his feet in international cricket. But in no time, the Tamil Nadu ace became the first choice spinner in the team while the legendary Harbhajan was struggling to find a regular place in the Test side.
Ravichandran Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 and did not take long to become a regular in the team. Harbhajan, on the other hand, soon lost his place in the team across formats and has not played for India since 2016. The 39-year-old has played 103 Tests with his final game coming in 2015. On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin has played 71 Tests since making his debut in 2011.
Ravichandran Ashwin recently opened up how he replace Harbhajan in the team. He said that he did not really feel any pressure in replacing his illustrious teammate and also stated that he always had the backing of former captain MS Dhoni.
“It is always huge to play for your country. It is an honour and a dream come true for a cricketer, a real landmark. This helped me initially and I settled in the role pretty well. I had also played a lot of domestic cricket by then,” he told Hindustan Times.
“There was no pressure as such. I enjoyed playing for India when I got the chance. I never thought I was filling someone else’s shoes. I created my own space as time went by. (Captain) Dhoni also helped me gain confidence by always backing me,” he added.
Meanwhile, Harbhajan is still the most decorated off-spinner for India in Tests. With 417 wickets in the longest format of the game, he holds the record for the highest Test wickets claimed by an Indian off-spinner. Well, Ravichandran Ashwin is not too far behind with 365 wickets currently.
