'Intelligent 'Ashwin always reinventing himself, says Laxman

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 2 : Former India batsman VVS Laxman has praised Ravichandran Ashwin, saying the seasoned off-spinner is reinventing himself and is always looking to improve.
Ashwin had gone past the 400 wickets milestone in the third Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium which India won by 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. Courtesy his performance, Ashwin is now ranked number three in the ICC Test bowler rankings.
"I think he (Ashwin) is a very intelligent person. When you are playing at the highest level, then it's not only about your skill, it's about your preparation, your planning and execution is so critical. So, he works out what are the weaknesses of the batsman. He plans those dismissals and that's why I think he is reinventing himself," Laxman said while speaking on Star Sports' show 'Cricket Connected'.
"We saw recently in the Australia series how he troubled, someone as great as Steve Smith, and that's another thing that makes Ashwin or any champion player special, that he wants to be the best and compete against the best," he added.
Ashwin was a standout performer in India's remarkable 2-1 Test series win over Australia and his resilience was on show in the third Test in Sydney where he battled it out alongside Hanuma Vihari to help India walk away with a famous draw.
"78 Test matches for 400 Test wicket. Let the naysayers be! He's been absolutely phenomenal with the craft that he has displayed over a period of time and as he's growing as a bowler he's picking a lot of wickets. So, that question mark is also getting answered quite nicely," said former India batsman Aakash Chopra while praising Ashwin.
"I feel that he's an absolute rockstar. He's one of the biggest match-winner, that India has ever produced. Of course, Anil Kumble will still remain at number one," he added.
Earlier, when Ashwin was asked about possibly going past Kumble's tally of 619 wickets, the 34-year-old said that he just wants to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead.
"I stopped thinking about all the landmarks a long time ago. It has been about how I can get better and what more I can offer to the team. I am looking to get better as an individual and cricketer every single day. I am not looking forward to what lies ahead and probably this is the reason why I am really enjoying my game right now. I would like to be in this space," said Ashwin during a virtual press conference last Saturday.
India currently has a 2-1 lead in the ongoing four-match series against England and if the hosts manage to win or draw the final Test, they would secure their berth in the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) where they will be facing New Zealand at the Lord's, London from June 18-22.