Nothing has changed: Ashwin shares his mother’s amusing response to a fan’s 100th Test post. Veteran off-spinner R Ashwin shared the amusing reaction his mother had to a fan’s tweet that juxtaposed his bowling stats from his first Test match against his 100th Test match.
In both games, Ashwin’s bowling average of 9/128 was the same. During the fifth Test match between India and England at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, Ashwin participated in the historic match and was awarded his 100th Test cap.
Ashwin echoed his mother’s amusing response, expressing what many Indian parents feel. With 14 years of international cricket experience under his belt, Ashwin’s mother pointed out the striking similarities between his 100th Test and inaugural Test numbers. She also made a lighthearted comment about his seeming lack of progress.
The lighthearted criticism mirrored the common practice of Indian parents to continue to be critical of their offspring, regardless of their achievements. It reminded us that all Indian children were under the same level of parental supervision, even experienced off-spinners like Ashwin.
With a comment that read, “No improvement after all these years of playing the game,” Ashwin posted on ‘X’. These kinds of things are only said by mom.”
THE WHOLE CIRCLE MOMENT OF ASHWIN
For Ashwin, it was the culmination of a journey that began when he made match figures of 129 for 9 against the West Indies in Delhi on his Test debut in 2011. Remarkably, Ashwin finished with the same match stats of 128/9 in his 100th Test match against England in Dharamsala, more than ten years later.
He took two five-wicket hauls in the series, including one in his historic 100th Test, and his outstanding play was a major factor in India’s convincing 4-1 triumph against England. He overtook Anil Kumble to break the record for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket with 36.
In the red-ball style, the 37-year-old became the 14th Indian player to reach 100 matches for his country. He broke Muttiah Muralitharan’s record in his 100th Test, bowling the best spell ever by a bowler, displaying his exceptional skill.
He dethroned Jasprit Bumrah as the top bowler in the ICC rankings after an incredible performance in the five-match Test series against England, where he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 26 wickets in ten innings.
