‘Ashwin’s legacy is phenomenal, but Washington’s time is coming’: Harbhajan Singh | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Ravichandran AshwinIndia's “phenomenal achievements” remain unmatched, but the leadership of the Indian cricket team continues to evolve Washington Sundar as his potential successor, according to Spin Maestro Harbhajan Singh.
While Ashwin is second only to Anil Kumble in India's Test wicket-taking list with 536 dismissals compared to Kumble's 619, the road to claiming the next 84 wickets could take longer. This comes as Sundar emerges as India's preferred off-spinner over the course of the year Gautam Gambhir's term.
“I think that is their long-term plan (team management and selectors). Ravichandran Ashwin has done a phenomenal job as a player for India and taken all these wickets in his career,” Harbhajan told PTI in an exclusive interview when asked if he sees Ashwin's younger statemate from Tamil Nadu taking on the role of the leading man.

Ashwin's age will certainly be taken into account.
“But now that he is ready, at the age of 38, they have kept Washington Sundar with him whenever R Ashwin retires. The team believes they need to prepare Washington, so I think they are doing it.” “We are working on the same path,” supports the former off-spinner with more than 400 Test and more than 700 international wickets across all formats .
Harbhajan, who missed the 2008 WACA Test, said winning the series opener at Optus Stadium “doubled the joy”.
“It was (the) most important win for India because Perth has always been a very lucky hunting ground for Australia,” he said.
“It's always very difficult to beat them in their backyard, but this is a place where the luck of winning is doubled because they (Australia) consider themselves very strong here (in this stadium).”

“So congratulations to Team India, they have played phenomenal cricket and I hope that continues and India continues to win this series 4-1,” he added.
Harbhajan said that while the victory in the first Test was significant, another win in the series would put India on their way to the final of the World Test Championship. However, he emphasized that simply making it to the final would not be enough.
“If they win another game, I think India will definitely go to the WTC final, but it's not important to get there, it's important to win, we will get there,” he said.
Harbhajan praised India's stand-in captain for the Perth Test. Jasprit BumrahHe explained that in the locker room he has a lot of respect for the person he is.
“Bumrah is a great player and of course he has a great attitude. I have been a big fan of Bumrah from day one and he has a very calm personality,” he said.
“He knows his game and is one of those guys who is a very likeable person in the locker room. He commands a lot of respect in the locker room. So when someone is leading from the front, the team obviously follows him,” he added.
The former India player mentioned that while Bumrah led from the front, he particularly singled out KL Rahul for his solid batting performance in the first Test in Perth alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal for India's triumph.
“I have to acknowledge that Jassi has done a great job, but so has Jaiswal (too),” he said.
“KL Rahul… we talk about him so much that KL doesn't score runs, that doesn't happen for him or that doesn't happen, but in the end you see when you give a player a (long) run – him” is a first class one Player, KL Rahul – and I’m so happy for him.”
Harbhajan hoped India will continue their momentum from Perth as they prepare for their next outing in a day-night Test in Adelaide.
“Now Rohit (Sharma) and Shubman (Gill) will be back to make the team even stronger. It's so good to see Team India playing the way they have been playing and I hope they will continue like this and continue like this.” “I will win a series there,” he added.