- Cricket fans in general, especially Indian fans in particular, will always view Ravichandran Ashwin with great respect for the way the off-spinning all-rounder has gone about displaying his skillsets on the field over the years. The tall off-spinner has made a telling contribution in many of Team India’s triumphs over varied opposition during the course of his career so far. No wonder, R Ashwin holds a special place and deserves mention when Team India climbed the pinnacle of number one ranking not long ago on the back of consistent performances resulting in glorious victories. The sub-continental cricket pitches ideally suited for spinners have been greatly exploited by R Ashwin whose several match-winning spells invariably lead to series victories.
PC: Scroll Staff
- Indian cricket is perpetually endowed with legendary spinners since the last few decades whose awe-inspiring exploits are well documented. As they say, statistics speaks for itself. R Ashwin should definitely rank amongst the very best to emerge out of India joining the ranks of some of the illustrious slow bowlers of yore. As you know, the Indian cricketing folklore is replete with legendary spinners and Ashwin is already part of the ranks through memorable achievements of his own. Having made his debut way back in 2011, Ashwin had to face challenges along the way like every other cricketer but emerged stronger on the back of compelling performances when it mattered most. And he relentlessly proceeds ahead by reinventing himself.
- Remember, Ashwin emerged even as the highest Test wicket-taker for India, the incomparable Anil Kumble, made way for the talent-in-waiting to carry forward the spinning legacy. Also, note that there was already an established off-spinner in the form of Harbhajan Singh who had carved out a niche for himself by then. As can be expected, Harbhajan was an automatic choice in the playing eleven as he was the first-choice spinner against the rookie Ashwin. Overseas tours usually allowed only one spinner to be in the playing eleven, and by virtue of his seniority, Harbhajan was mostly preferred over Ashwin. This used to be the case at least for the initial few years of Ashwin’s debut. That has changed gradually over the years.
PC: Hindustantimes
- Now, one of the advantages that Ashwin possesses is his natural ability to bat rather than go about slogging as can be usually seen with the bowlers. As you know, the majority of the bowlers do not put a price on their wicket, and as such, every run scored by them is considered a bonus for the team. However, Ashwin is a much better batter in comparison and his five hundred speaks volumes about his abilities with the bat. Nonetheless, what Team India expects from the premier spin bowler is to take wickets consistently and the spinner has not disappointed on this front by taking thirty 5 wicket howls and seven 10 wicket howls in 85 Tests so far. In fact, Ashwin has gone ahead of erstwhile star all-rounder Kapil Dev’s tally of 434 in recent times.
- Ashwin has achieved this remarkable feat in 85 Tests where he stands second only to Anil Kumble’s tally of 619 Test wickets. The office has done fairly well in the shorter format of the game too by scalping 151 and 61 wickets in the 50-over one-day internationals and T20 internationals, respectively. If at all Ashwin wishes to change statistics, it would be to improve upon his wicket-taking capabilities in overseas conditions at par with a familiar spinner-friendly environment at home. This will also mean automatic selection in the playing eleven as well while Team India tours abroad. However, it will not take away anything from Ashwin for he continues to be a match-winner for Team India by a fair distance. Keep going, Ash!
