Ravichandran Ashwin’s constant drive to evolve and excel in his craft, coupled with his focus on self-improvement rather than being concerned about the opponents made him stand out, says former India coach Ravi Shastri.

The 38-year-old announced his retirement in the middle of the Test series against Australia. “What stands out for me was his wanting to evolve all the time. He wasn’t the kind of guy satisfied as to where he started,” Shastri said on The ICC Review. “For me it was his guile, wanting to excel in his craft and [especially] in the last two-three years the way he got the ball to the way, gave it a rip and got it to dip on the batsman with drift made him stand out,” Shastri said.