Ravichandran Ashwin is master of spin in any condition: Ricky Ponting

Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting was full of praise for veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and called him a master of spin bowling across conditions. Ashwin is set to mark his 100th Test appearance when India faces England in the fifth and final Test at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Thursday, March 7. 

Ponting, who collaborated with Ashwin during their stint at the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), emphasized Ashwin's deep understanding of the game. Remarkably, in every game Ashwin participates in, he sets new records. In the ongoing series against England, he crossed the 500-wicket milestone and also surpassed Anil Kumble for the most Test wickets in India and the highest number of five-wicket hauls. 

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"He's a master of spin in any conditions. He's been an incredible cricketer, no doubt about it. I had a chance to coach him for a couple of years at Delhi, and loved working with him. He's got a lot of theories and philosophies on the game, which I really like," Ponting said in ICC Review.

Ponting went on to praise Ashwin for his unique approach to the game, noting that he consistently evolved as a bowler. Reflecting on his coaching experience, the 49-year-old mentioned how Ashwin always experimented with new techniques at his mark, showcasing his continuous quest for improvement.

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"He's always done things a little bit differently and done things his own way. But he just continued to evolve as a bowler. That's the thing that I loved about him when I was coaching him, he'd stand at the end of his mark and he'd be working on something different, a little tweak to his action or a change of grip or a different delivery. He's never been one that was going to die wondering about trying to find ways to get better," the Aussie added.