Cricket: ‘Have few problems with Ashwin being called an all-time great’ – Sanjay Manjrekar disagrees with Ian Chappell

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has disagreed with Ian Chappell’s comments where he termed Ravichandran Ashwin as an “all-time great”. Opining on the matter, Manjrekar said he has a problem with people terming Ashwin as an all-time great while adding that the veteran Indian spinner doesn’t have a five-wicket haul at SENA countries.

Ian Chappell, on ESPNCricinfo show Runorder, said that Ashwin is one of the best Test bowlers but Manjrekar clearly isn’t in agreement with the former Australian cricketer.

Manjrekar, while citing Ashwin’s overseas record, said that even the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have performed well in Indian conditions.

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“One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, Ashwin doesn’t have a single five-wicket haul there. And the other thing when you talk about him running through sides on Indian pitches that are suited to his kind of bowling is that in the last four years, Jadeja has matched him with wicket-taking abilities. Then, interestingly, in the last series against England, Axar Patel got more wickets than Ashwin on similar pitches. So that is my problem with accepting Ashwin as a real all-time great,” Manjrekar said

However, Chappell added that it is like being Joel Garner whose “wickets are shared around” while being surrounded by great bowlers. But Manjrekar’s comments did attract a lot of criticism on social media.

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Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen in action during the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand and five-Test series against England.