Ravichandran Ashwin still the kingpin

R Ashwin celebrates the wicket of Australia’s Todd Murphy at Ahmedabad yesterday. Pic/AFP

One Indian bowler who has ruled the roost over the last decade is Ravichandran Ashwin. No Test team are complete without his presence, at least in home conditions. He has been exemplary not only in India, but all over the world ever since he came on the international scene in June 2010. Since his debut, he has taken more international wickets than any bowler, and that includes James Anderson. It has been largely due to his bowling efforts that India have notched up many historical wins both at home and away.

Of course, there has been criticism that he has been more successful in helpful conditions at home than overseas. But such harsh views have not discouraged him. On the contrary, he has worked hard on his skills and fitness to remain relevant. He keeps picking up wickets at home to be on the cusp of becoming only the third Indian bowler to claim 700 international wickets. With the six Australian wickets he picked in the first innings on a flat Motera pitch, he is now just four wickets shy of the coveted mark. Anil Kumble ended his career with 956 international wickets, Harbhajan Singh had 707.

Only behind Kumble

With 473 wickets in 92 games, Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, behind Kumble (619). The tally includes 32 fifers and seven 10-wicket hauls in a match. In ODIs, he has snapped 151 wickets in 113 appearances at 33.50. The first Indian bowler to complete 50 wickets in T20Is, he has 72 wickets from 65 games, for a grand tally of 696 from 260 games.

These are just a few statistical achievements of Ashwin, who is far from the traditional mould of an off-spinner like Erapalli Prassana or even Harbhajan. Whenever it seems that he has had his time, he has reinvented himself with deliveries like the carrom ball and the leg-cutter to add to his variety. He also uses his wrist position to keep the batsman guessing. That makes him handful on turning tracks, on which - more often - than not he has been a match-winner. If India have been able to have such a brilliant home Test record (losing just three Test matches in the last decade), Ashwin has been one of the factors.

Also Read: ICC Test ranking: Ravichandran Ashwin, James Anderson tie for No 1 Test bowler spot

24 scalps in series

If we talk solely of the current series, his has been a stellar role, with 24 wickets in four games, with the Australian second innings yet to come in the fourth Test at Motera. His aura is such that even when Australia were required to get only 75 for a win at Indore, the fans were hoping for a miracle only because of Ashwin. And when he got Usman Khawaja on the second ball of the third morning, the hopes were really high till Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne ensured there was no miracle.

That brought us to Ahmedabad and on a flat track, Ashwin persevered relentlessly and ended up with a haul of six wickets. After having taken just one wicket of Head on Day One, he came back much stronger on the second day and added five more to keep the game open. Even though many feel that a result may not be possible on an unresponsive pitch, fans are not going to give up on a win. And leading their hopes will be the 36-year-old Ashwin, who with his never-say-die spirit will battle it out right till the end.

High praise from Green

Cameron Green who got his maiden Test century on Friday, was all praise for Ashwin, saying that the off-spinner was a challenge even on an unhelpful track. "He has such a vast variety and tries so many things that even a set batsman has to be watchful against him. He has such a great record that speaks for itself. Getting a century against such an attack is really heartening, especially as I have waited for 20 Test matches."

473
No. of wickets claimed by R Ashwin in 92 Test matches