I can see Ashwin pushing 600+ Test wickets at least: Brad Hogg

Former Australia leg-spinner Brad Hogg has lavished praise on India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and expects him to play Test cricket until he is 42 years old. 

During a chat on Times Now, Hogg spoke about Ashwin's desire to take plenty of wickets every time he steps onto the field, and he predicts that he will end up with 600+ wickets in Tests. Interestingly, the 50-year-old also stated that he would not be surprised if the off-spinner surpasses Muttiah Muralitharan's all-time wicket-taking record in Test cricket.

"Ashwin is 34 now. I think he will probably play till 42 in Tests. I think his batting might drop off but he’ll be more lethal with the ball by the time passing by. I can see him pushing 600+ Test wickets at least. He might even break Muttiah Muralitharan’s record (of 800 Test wickets) as well,” Hogg told Times Now.

“The reason why I think he’s so good because he is adaptable and his hunger of continuing to grow up as a cricketer. He also played county cricket to get used to England conditions and that’s how he has become so successful especially in recent years,” he said.

The best off-spinner in the world 

"He’s definitely the best off-spinner in the world right now but we can’t call him the greatest off-spinner of all time due to the change of rules and conditions. Ashwin doesn’t like to be beaten whenever he’s in a contest. He is someone you want to play against because you know that you’re going to be tested and you can test him as well. 

During India's historic triumph in Australia, Ashwin was one of the standout performers, not shying away from proving his worth in the testing Australian conditions. Hogg went on to say, "It's a privilege to play against him."

I think he’s a very good chess player out of the cricket field. I have respect for Ashwin especially after he showed the courage of playing in tough conditions in Australia in the last tour. It’s a privilege to play against him and he’s been brilliant," Hogg added.