I am a big fan of Anil Kumble… will retire if I get to 618 Test wickets: R Ashwin

R Ashwin desires to take 618 wickets in Test cricket before retiring from the longest format. (Source: BCCI)

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed his retirement plan and said that he will hang his boots from international cricket after he gets to his 618 Test wicket. “I am a big fan of Anil Kumble and he has got 619 wickets. If I get to 618 wickets, I will be very thankful too and, and if I get to 618, that will be my last Test match.”

Ashwin, who has played 52 Tests, is eight wickets short of becoming the fifth India bowler to take 300 wickets and stands a chance to become the fastest to reach the figures. Australia’s Dennis Lillee tops the chart after the right-arm pacer achieved the figure in his 56th Test match.

The 31-year old off-spinner admires Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath dedication and how he overcomes limitations every single day. Speaking to ANI, Ashwin said “Rangana Herath is one of my role models. I think he is a fabulous bowler. He just overcomes limitations every single day. Age does wear the body out over a period of time. As far as Herath is concerned, he just keeps proving that he is a champion cricketer and he can use pressure to his good advantage. That is exactly what he did on the final day of the first Test(against Pakistan).”

Ashwin last played against Sri Lanka in the three-match series. Thereafter he has been excluded for the limited over series against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. Speaking on team selection, he said that he is not responsible for making the decisions bur for him every day is about getting better than what you have been previously.

“I don’t have an answer to that because resting [a player] and making decisions are definitely not something that I can comment on,” he said. “Because I am not the one that is in charge and I am not the one who is responsible for making these decisions. So very clearly, as far as I am concerned, every day is about being better than what you have been previously. I am definitely focused on developing every single day and becoming a better cricketer because that is the only thing that will last. Tomorrow, if I am given an opportunity, I should be the best I can be and probably even the better than the best that I can be,” Ashwin concluded.