India spinner R Ashwin has said he will retire from Test cricket once he takes 618 wickets in the format, which would be one fewer than his idol Anil Kumble.
The 31-year-old off-spinner currently has 292 Test wickets, which is 327 fewer than India’s leading wicket-taker in the longest format – Kumble, who has 619.
Asked if Kumble’s record was at the back of his mind, Ashwin told Gulf News, “Definitely not. I am a big fan of Anil Kumble and he has got 619 wickets and if I get to 618 wickets, I will be very thankful too. And, if I get to 618, that will be my last Test match.”
Ashwin also said that Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, who recently became the first left-arm spinner to take 400 Test wickets, was another role model for him. “I think he is a fabulous bowler. He just overcomes limitations very single day...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 [Pakistan-Sri Lanka] Test.”
Ashwin is currently playing in the Ranji Trophy after being rested by the Indian team for the limited-overs matches against Australia and New Zealand. The Tamil Nadu spinner did not want to comment on the matter “because I am not the one that is in charge and I am not the one who is responsible for making these decisions”.
He added, “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.”
Asked what legacy he wanted to leave behind, Ashwin said, “Be happy with what I am doing and be content with myself and try and be better than what you are today, and try and be the best for that particular day. Because what goes good enough yesterday is definitely not good enough tomorrow.”