Ravichandran Ashwin is the ‘Don Bradman of bowling at the moment’, says Steve Waugh

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is the “Don Bradman of bowling at the moment”, said former Australian captain Steve Waugh, reported the Times of India. “His record is equivalent to what Bradman did with batting and he’s a pretty handy batsman as well,” Waugh said. “He’s the player I think [Australia] have to overcome if we can do that we have a chance,” he added.

Ashwin, currently the top-ranked Test bowler in the world, was instrumental during India’s series wins against New Zealand and England, where he took 27 and 28 wickets respectively. Ashwin also picked up a four-wicket haul in the second innings during India’s recent 208-run win against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. The 30-year-old was also the fastest bowler in the world to reach 250 Test wickets. He also broke an Indian record for the maximum number of Man-of-the-series awards won (7).

India are hosting Australia for a four-Test series beginning February 23.

On the upcoming India-Australia series

Waugh, who lost the only series he captainced in India in 2001, said that “staying positive” was the key to putting India under pressure at home. The 51-year-old added that England should have pressed for a win in the first Test at Rajkot last year. “You go to India and you have to be positive, England should have won that first Test and from then the momentum totally changed. If things start going against you it’s really hard to change the tide, you got to stay calm under pressure,” Waugh said.

The Australian great lauded India’s stunning run under Virat Kohli as captain. As it stands, India have gone unbeaten in the last 19 Tests, equaling their all-time record that was set between 1977-’80. “In Indian conditions they are very hard to beat. Kohli’s leadership is contagious and players rally around him. Virat feels like they can do anything. He’s a big like a warrior and feels like he can do anything. This new Team India can achieve anything,” Waugh added.

The Waugh-Ganguly battle rages on

Waugh also hit back at his old rival and former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly’s prediction of India winning each of the games in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India had achieved the feat in 2013 when Michael Clarke’s side succumbed to a 0-4 whitewash. “Sourav [Ganguly] is a bit optimistic and I’ll challenge him on the quote that Australia is going to be beaten 4-0,” Waugh said.

The two-time World Cup winner called Ganguly’s claims “foolish” and tipped pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood along with off-spinner Nathan Lyon to come good in the summer, “It’s foolish to write a side off like that. I think anything can happen. India hasn’t seen a lot of our players”

“I believe [Mitchell] Starc is the best quick bowler in the world and [Josh] Hazlewood is right up there. The spinners - jury’s out a bit there but [Nathan] Lyon is a very good competitor,” Waugh, one of the Laureus ambassadors, said.