'Intelligent' Ashwin's quench for reinventing impresses Laxman

Ashwin recently became the second-fastest bowler to reach the mark of 400 Test wickets after Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan.

Mumbai: Reinventing, preparation and planning are among the traits that makes R Ashwin one of the force to reckon with in modern cricket, according to veteran batsman VVS Laxman.

The 34-year-old recently became the second-fastest bowler to reach the mark of 400 Test wickets after Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan. Ashwin achieved this feat by dismissing Jofra Archer in the pink ball Test at Ahmedabad, which the hosts won by 10 wickets under two days.

"I think he's (Ashwin) a very intelligent person. When you're 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, a veteran of 134 Tests, was quoted as saying by official broadcasters.

To prove his point further, Laxman also cited the example of Steve Smith and how Ashwin made the Australian his bunny during India's recent tour of Australia.

"We saw recently in the Australia series how he (Ashwin) 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 said.