Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has picked batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest Indian cricketer in his all-time bracket, but not before making several bold choices along the way.
Ashwin chose pacer Jasprit Bumrah over batting great Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag over World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni before Tendulkar eventually beat India’s first World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, in the final.
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Ashwin was asked to work his way through a bracket featuring some of the greatest cricketers India has produced, with players from different generations and across formats going head-to-head.
His biggest call came in the quarter-finals when Kohli was paired with Bumrah. Ashwin admitted he had to think hard before going with the fast bowler, given Kohli’s remarkable Test career and achievements across formats.
“Goodness gracious me. Test cricket. Virat is an absolute legend. He’s done so well. It’s one tournament. I’ll go with Jasprit Bumrah, man,” Ashwin said during his interaction with ESPNcricinfo.
The former India spinner then acknowledged that his decision may have been influenced by his own experience as a bowler.
“Maybe there’s a bit of a partiality. I’ll pick Jasprit Bumrah.”
Bumrah has established himself as the leader of India’s Test attack and one of the leading fast bowlers in white-ball cricket. Kohli, meanwhile, has built one of India’s finest batting careers across formats.
ASHWIN PICKS DHONI OVER JADEJA
Ashwin was faced with another difficult choice when MS Dhoni came up against Ravindra Jadeja.
“Oh, my goodness. Dhoni vs Ravindra Jadeja. Very tempting to go to Jadeja,” Ashwin said.
He eventually backed Dhoni, pointing to the former India captain’s record across formats and his leadership.
“But Captaincy, ODI, Test cricket. He’s got his credentials. Led the team to, I think, number one ranking and all. So, I’ll stick with MS. Very close for me. I was very tempted to go for Ravindra Jadeja for a wee bit of time.”
Dhoni’s run did not last much longer, though. He faced Sehwag in the quarter-finals, and Ashwin once again had to weigh up his options.
“My goodness. Virender Sehwag.”
Sehwag had already survived a tough first-round contest against Sunil Gavaskar. Ashwin admitted he was uncomfortable with the decision to leave the legendary opener out.
“Oh gosh, across formats. Virender Sehwag. That’s unfair. That’s unfair to Sunil Gavaskar.”
In the first round, Ashwin also picked Tendulkar over Vijay Hazare, Kohli over Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid over Vinoo Mankad and Bumrah over Anil Kumble.
When Ashwin’s own name was paired with Sourav Ganguly, he chose the former India captain instead.
“Oh, my God. I’ll pick Sourav Ganguly. Let me be absolutely safe.”
KAPIL ENDS BUMRAH’S RUN
As the bracket progressed, Tendulkar beat Ganguly, Kapil Dev defeated Dravid, Sehwag knocked out Dhoni and Bumrah eliminated Kohli. That set up the semi-finals, where Tendulkar faced Sehwag and Kapil took on Bumrah.
Tendulkar proved too strong for Sehwag in Ashwin’s estimation, while Kapil ended Bumrah’s run.
“The all-round ability is so tempting, right? The 1983 World Cup win. Kapil Dev. Kapil Dev,” Ashwin said while choosing the 1983 World Cup-winning captain over Bumrah.
The result set up a final between Tendulkar and Kapil, two players from different eras who had a huge influence on Indian cricket.
Ashwin’s final decision was perhaps the easiest of all, although he admitted that personal preference played a part.
“Personal bias should count at some stage. I’ll go with Sachin Tendulkar.”
And so, after comparing some of India’s greatest players across generations, Ashwin’s bracket ended with Tendulkar at the top.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
