Ashwin has now won eight Man-of-the-Series awards in his 10-year career and is only eight wickets short of equalling Harbhajan Singh’s 417 Test wickets.

It could well happen in England this summer, but he doesn’t want to entertain such thoughts.

“Honestly, that has not even crossed my mind. He is a fantastic bowler. There is a lot that I have learnt from him. I wasn’t even an off-spinner when Bhajju paa started playing for India,” Ashwin’s respect for another practitioner of the same craft was there for all to see.

“Harbhajan was also an inspiration because of the famous 2001 series (32 wickets in 3 Tests). I never imagined in 2001 that I will be an off-spinner, and I mean who would have imagined those things.

“I was fortunate to play alongside Bhajju paa when I came into the team and also play under Anil Kumble bhai, but I would now like to leave my own legacy,” Ashwin said.

A student of the game, Ashwin wants to evolve as a cricketer and a person every day. “My growth as a cricketer is a direct synonym to the person I am. I want to keep evolving, learning and that is my second nature, directly proportional to the kind of cricketer I am. Whatever I do, I want to be the best that I can be.”