Ashwin is a professor of spin bowling: Swann

He is an off-spinner, just like R. Ashwin. And despite making his Test debut at 29, Graeme Swann – England’s most successful Test offspinner – finished with 255 Test scalps. Ashwin debuted at 25, relatively late for a record-breaking bowler.

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With Swann at the Niranjan Shah Stadium as a broadcaster on the day Ashwin scaled Mt. 500, Team Sportstar got him to open up on Ashwin’s achievement.

On his initial thoughts on Ashwin’s milestone

It was going to come in this Test match, probably fitting that it was the first wicket to fall. Just when India needed that breakthrough, he is the man who got it. I have got to take my hat off to him. It is brilliant to see, especially a finger spinner to get to 500 Test wickets. I have always been a huge fan of his bowling. To get to 500 Test wickets in less than 100 Tests is a massive thing.

On Ashwin starting relatively late and yet being a record-breaking bowler

That’s a huge thing. To be fair, if you start playing a bit late you have a bit of advantage. You have played more cricket by that stage. You have learnt your craft more. I find the guys who had to learn on the job had a disadvantage. Ashwin actually benefited from that (debuting at 25). By the time he played, he was ready for it.

On Ashwin’s ability to anticipate a batter’s move

I have watched a lot of him on TV. Especially whenever they played Australia. He always had a very clever way when it wasn’t going for him. He was very quick to go over the wicket to the left-handers and worked out how to bowl people around their legs, and things like that. I think it’s very easy to bowl when there’s turn… keep plugging away thinking a wicket will come. He has never been happy with that. He has always looked to force a wicket, which is why he has got so many of them.

On Ashwin’s tendency to experiment and evolve

It’s very difficult for people but not Ashwin. His character demands that. He is a student of the game… like a professor of spin bowling.

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On Ashwin being an offspinner with a clean action

Ashwin has got the cleanest action since me (laughs). I am always bemused at the fact that I retired from cricket because of a bad elbow, I never bent that. He has never been questioned because he always bowls with shorter sleeves and doesn’t bend it.

The only thing against Ashwin is when he tried bowling leg-spin. That wasn’t right. He would probably do it again just to annoy me (laughs). But nearly everything he tries works and credit to him.