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Somerset cricketer Tom Abell took a trip down memory lane to relive his battle in county cricket with Indian stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently decided to bring the curtain down on his career in international cricket.
In 2019, during a fixture between Somerset and Nottinghamshire, Abell and Ashwin squared off against each other in Taunton. Abell, who has earned a reputation for himself with consistent performances in the county, was no match for Ashwin's prowess. The 30-year-old fell short and ended up giving away his wicket to the seasoned off-spinner. After the 38-year-old ball-turner announced his retirement from international cricket, Abell recalled his battle with Ashwin. He admitted he had no shame in losing his wicket to someone of his calibre. "I have watched Ashwin play for India on TV. He is one of the best spinners ever to play. From my experience, it was amazing, testing yourself against that sort of quality. He is an off-spin bowler, but he takes it to a completely different level. I have no shame in getting out to someone with Ashwin's quality. It is great to have the opportunity to play against a player like that," Abell told ANI. Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies, marking the beginning of an illustrious career in red-ball cricket. He featured in 106 Tests, taking an astounding 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs. Ashwin played 23 Tests against Australia, claiming 115 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 2.71. The 38-year-old also holds the record for the most wickets taken in a single Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, with 29 scalps during the 2020-21 edition. In the longest format of the game, Ashwin set numerous records that may prove difficult to surpass. He is the fastest Indian bowler to claim 350 Test wickets and ranks as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests after Anil Kumble, with 537 dismissals at an economy rate of 2.83. (ANI)
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