R. Ashwin
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Contents |
His place in history
As in 2023: India’s greatest match-winner since Kumble
Shashank Shekhar, July 16, 2023: The Times of India
New Delhi: It was a rather amusing sight to see clueless West Indies batsmen dancing to Ravichandran Ashwin’s tune in the first Test at Roseau, Dominica, which India won by a massive margin of an innings and 141 runs inside three days. On a surprisingly spin-friendly track on which the ball spun from Day One, and against a lame batting lineup, Ashwin coasted to a match haul of 12 for 131 to make sure that the Indian team had an extra two days of rest, relaxation and fun in the Caribbean before the second Test at Port-of-Spain.
While the pitch was more th an helpful and the batsmen were like sitting ducks, his performance only went on to reiterate the fact that Ashwin remains India’s biggest match-winner since Anil Kumble and the biggest threat India can present to international batting lineups in Test cricket.
And that brings us back to the question: Why was he not played in the all-important Wor ld Test Championship final against Australia recently? The more one thinks about, the more baffled one gets over the decision of the team management.
India played Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja as the five bowlers in that game at the Oval in London. While Shami, Siraj and Jadeja were automatic picks, to play Yadav and Thakur ahead of Ashwin was more than a surprise, especially Yadav.
Did the team think-tank actually believe that Yadav and Thakur had a better chance of taking wickets in the conditio ns that prevailed at the Oval than Ashwin, the No. 1 Test bowler in the world? Going by cricketing logic, the probability of something like that happening was very low. In fact, between the two spinners also, on a track where the ball isn’t turning much, Ashwin should be preferred to Jadeja simply because Jadeja’s efficacy as a wicket-taker goes down in good measure if the ball isn’t spinning. He is deadly on the dust-bowls of India but since he doesn’t have many dimensions to his bowling, it’s difficult for Jadeja to create wicket-taking opportunities outside of the subcontinent.
Ashwin, too, doesn’t have a great overseas record. But he is a thinking cricketer who keeps working on his game to become better and better. He has developed skills to trouble batsmen on most surfaces. The fact that he can bowls four or five different deliveries in an over keeps the batsman guessing. He can also use the rough created by the pacers on both sides of the stumps as he often bowls wide of the stumps to entice the batsman. The off-spinner’s ability to turn the ball the other way helps him befuddle batter s. On a placid track, this is a very useful skill to have. And this is something wicket-to-wicket bowlers cannot do.
Ashwin is a highly competitive cricketer who loves challenges and who has the wherewithal to respond to them effectively. At 36, he is probably bowling better than ever. A red-ball champion, he has even challenged himself to become better in white-ball cricket at this ripe age. His performances in ODIs, T20Is and IPL in recent times amply prove his commitment, his sense of excellence and his will to win. Whatever the format, Ashwin will give you his 100%, you can be sure of that.
To make a player of his class, experience and spirit to sit out of a marquee game like the WTC final was a blunder which the team management cannot shy away from. India should have given themselves the best chance of winning the coveted title but by not picking Ashwin, they began with a handicap against a team which w ill never give you any quarters.
This was not the first time that Ashwin was controversially left out of the playing eleven. He was carrying the hurt inside him for quite some time. The WTC episode forced the floodgates to open and he spoke about his deep disappointment at being dropped for the Oval tie. He also hinted at a friendless environment within the team. One can only sympathize with him.
In fact, you cannot blame Ashwin if he feels aggrieved that Ajinkya Rahane, who has made a return to the Test team after a gap of one and a half years, and not him was named vice-captain for the West Indies Test tour.
Abrupt retirement in Brisbane/ 2024
Partha Bhaduri, Dec 19, 2024: The Times of India
Brisbane : India’s campaign in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was jolted by the shock retirement of spin stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin in the middle of the series.
With a couple of senior players in the sunset of their careers, the team has been staring at the difficult issue of transition for a while now. The process was eventually kickstarted in surprising manner here on a bleak day, even as rain pelted the ground and the third Test against Australia was drawn on the last day.
The off-spinning allrounder walked in alongside captain Rohit Sharma after the game to announce his immediate retirement from all forms of international cricket at the age of 38. Ashwin will leave the team and depart for home on Thursday, captain Rohit Sharma said, with many left wondering at the manner of his retirement and the reasons behind announcing the decision now.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at international level,” Ashwin said, “I do feel there is a bit of a punch left in me as a cricketer, but I’d like to showcase that in club-level cricket. I’ve had a lot of fun and created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates. Even though I lost some of them over the last few years, we’re the last bunch of OGs, if you can say that, left in the dressing room. I’ll be marking this as my date of having played at this level.”
It is understood that Ashwin has been contemplating retirement for well over a year now. A dodgy knee hasn’t helped matters. The aches and pains and a deteriorating shoulder have been there for a while but India’s 0-3 loss to New Zealand — and his own inability to prise out wickets on home turners like he used to — may have contributed to the decision. Washington Sundar getting the nod in Perth too may have been a red flag.
Ashwin, the only Indian allrounder to score 3000 runs and take 500 wickets, did not take any questions after a brief statement, leaving Rohit to explain what had transpired. “I heard this when I came to Perth.” Rohit explained. “I was not there for the first three or four days of that Test. This was on his mind then. There are obviously a lot of things that went behind this. He understands what the team is thinking, what kind of combinations we are thinking.”
Ashwin will be 39 by the time of India’s next big home series and likely felt there was no point hanging on if the team had moved on from him. Rohit said he had to “convince” Ashwin to stay back and play the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, raising questions about why a proper farewell wasn’t announced there itself, instead of the end of a rainhit Test in which Ashwin wasn’t even a member of the playing XI.
Ashwin is, after all, the second-highest Test wicket-taker for India behind Anil Kumble, the 537 scalps a testimony to his stature, commitment and rare ability. He brought a thorough, scientific, almost nerdy approach to the art of finger spin in his 14-year international career. He formed a deadly combination with Ravindra Jadeja which was the cornerstone of India’s decade-long Test domination at home. The duo became a nightmare for visiting teams on the turning tracks in India. Overseas, Ashwin ceased to be a regular feature in the XI but ended with 154 away wickets. He was more than a handy batter, a role in which he began his cricketing journey and now leaves after scoring six Test tons.
“When we came here, we were not sure about which spinner was going to play. We just wanted to assess what kind of conditions we get,” Rohit said. “When I arrived in Perth, this was a chat we had. I somehow convinced him to stay for that pink-ball Test. It just happened that he felt that ‘if I’m not needed right now in the series, I’m better off saying goodbye to the game’.”
Ashwin’s decision deprives the squad of a major spinner for the remaining two Tests in Mel- bourne and Sydney, but Rohit was supportive of the decision. “He was very sure about what he wanted to do. That is the kind of chat we have had as well, me and (head coach) Gautam Gambhir. It is important that a player like him, who has been a truly big match-winner, is allowed to make those decisions. If it was now, so be it.”
This Australia tour has seen chief selector Ajit Agarkar staying back to consult with Gambhir and the captain on the way forward for the team. Ashwin’s retirement may come as a message to some underperforming seniors to shape up. This is the second mid-series retirement for a top Indian cricketer on a tour of Australia, with then-captain MS Dhoni retiring after the Melbourne Test in the 2014-15 series.
Debate will now rage on whether Ashwin was nudged or pushed, but there can be no questions on his legacy. He is one of the two greatest finger spinners of this era along with Australia’s Nathan Lyon, with whom he had a long chat after the game. In India, the land of spin and great spinners, Ashwin will be feted till the game is played. As for Washington Sundar, he now has some very big boots to fill.
MAYBE CHESS HELPED ASH: ANAND
Chennai: R Ashwin’s approach to spin bowling was often like a chess game. In a chat with TOI’s Neha Surana, chess legend Vishy Anand drew a parallel. “I’m going to speculate that chess maybe helped Ashwin, but I’m out on a limb here,” Anand said on Wednesday, “I like to think that the bowlers really have to think about how to outfox batters.” Anand could relate to Ash’s decision to retire. “I guess it’s a stage that every sportsman reaches in his career. Your relationship with your sport changes because you don’t play it for the same reasons you played it before... It’s something I faced, a few years ago,” said Anand.
Records and statistics
Test career
Till 2024 Feb
Gaurav Gupta , February 17, 2024: The Times of India
From: Gaurav Gupta , February 17, 2024: The Times of India
Rajkot: Hours after he celebrated taking his 500th wicket, ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the ongoing third Test against England here due to a “family medical emergency”.
“Ashwin has withdrawn from the Test squad effective immediately due to a family medical emergency. In these challenging times, the BCCI and the team fully supports Ashwin. The BCCI extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family. The health and wellbeing of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance. The board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate through this challenging time,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
“The board and the team will continue to provide any necessary assistance to Ashwin and will keep the lines of communication open to offer support as needed. Team India appreciates the understanding and empathy of the fans and media during this sensitive period,” Shah stated.
‘Am an accidental spinner, wanted to be a batter’
Earlier, just after stumps, Ashwin didn’t seem to be in a mood to celebrate his 500-wicket milestone since India’s bowling attack had just been ‘Bazballed’ by Ben Duckett. “It’s hanging in the balance,” Ashwin told reporters.
For someone who many doubted could even be a Test bowler, Ashwin said he was happy to have come this far.
“It’s been a long journey. I don’t exactly know where to begin because I was an accidental spinner. I wanted to be a batter all along. Life gave me a chance, and when I walked into the CSK dressing room, Muttiah Muralitharan didn’t want to bowl with the new ball, and eventually it got tossed at me. My firstclass career was pretty good, but nevertheless, the stage in the IPL made me visible to a lot of people, and I eventually got my Test debut. People doubted whether I could be a Test bowler, and 10-13 years later, it’s not a bad achievement, so I’m pretty glad,” he said. Is he now looking at crossing Kumble’s 619-wicket milestone, which will make him the highest wicket-taker for India in Tests? “The simple answer is ‘no’, it’s 120 wickets away, man. I’m 37. I don’t know what’s in store in the next two months.
“You play this series, and then what lies ahead? You really don’t know. So, I don’t want to jump the gun. I’ve kept it this way for the last four-five years and it’s worked for me,” he said. “I’m really happy where I am in life. About what people think of me, definitely in the last six 5-6 years, I’ve not cared about it.”
till Dec 2024
Dec 19, 2024: The Times of India
From: Dec 19, 2024: The Times of India
From: Dec 19, 2024: The Times of India
India’s campaign in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was jolted by the shock retirement of spin stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin in the middle of the series, reports Partha Bhaduri from Brisbane.
Ashwin walked in with captain Rohit Sharma after the third Test ended in a draw to announce his immediate retirement from all forms of international cricket at age 38. He will depart for home on Thursday, captain Rohit Sharma said, with many left wondering at the manner of the retirement and the reasons behind announcing the decision now.
“This’ll be my last day as an Indian cricketer…,” Ashwin said. “I do feel there’s a bit of a punch left in me as a cricketer, but I’d like to showcase that in club-level cricket…”
Test cricket
Bowling record
Till June 2018
From: July 26, 2018: The Times of India
See graphic :
R Ashwin’s bowling record in test cricket, till June 2018.
2022, Mar: India's 2nd highest wicket-taker
The number 434 has been Indian cricket’s pride since Kapil Dev retired from international cricket in 1994. Once he had surpassed Richard Hadlee’s tally of 431 Test wickets, it was the envy of the cricket world till Courtney Walsh went past him in 2001. Eight bowlers have gone past Kapil since and Anil Kumble has remained India’s highest Test wicket-taker for close to two decades.
On Sunday, R Ashwin claimed Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka first Test to go past Kapil’s tally. After finishing the second innings with figures of 4/47, he now stands at 436 wickets in 85 Tests.
YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS
2008
Shrivathsan S, March 18, 2024: The Times of India
Chennai: With a spring breeze blowing across MA Chidambaram Stadium, it was an evening to remember for R Ashwin and all those who turned up on Saturday. Ashwin, who recently achieved the milestone double of playing 100 Test matches and picking up 500 wickets in the longest format, was being felicitated for his achievements and the Chennai cricket fraternity did its bit to make it special for their No. 1 star. It was a trip down memory lane for the champion offie as he recalled how the seeds of the journey were sown about 16 years ago. “I would definitely not be able to sleep tonight if I do not recall this instance,” said Ashwin, who was presented by TNCA with a cheque worth Rs 1 crore, special mace and mementos.
“In 2008, I was playing a (TNCA first-division) game for Jolly Rovers CC against India Cements (Vijay CC). I picked up six wickets and went back home with the ‘Man of the Match’ trophy. K Srikkanth was the chief guest that night. He picked up the mic and said: ‘Ashwin, you bowled superbly. You should go to Chennai Super Kings and learn from Muttiah Muralitharan.’
“I was famished because I was not in the (CSK) team. We did not have auctions (for domestic players) at that time. He turned to Kasi (CSK CEO KS Viswanathan) and said: ‘Are you not taking him in the team?’ That particular line changed my life altogether. I received a contract from CSK the next day,” said Ashwin, as the crowd cheered him on. Ashwin extended his gratitude to former BCCI president N Srinivasan for backing him when he was on the verge of being left out from the Test squad. “In 2013, Srinivasan called me and said: ‘They want to drop you, but I put my foot down and said that you were the ‘Player of the Series’ in the last series. You have to continue with him’. He asked the team to play two off-spinners if they wanted to,” added Ashwin.
According to Ashwin, his challenging battles against former Tamil Nadu batter S Sharath made him a better off-spinner. “One day, somebody told me: ‘If you are that good an off-spinner, try and get this guy (Sharath) out’. I was playing for SPIC at that time. Sharath did not quite rate me that day and I got him out at the Guru Nanak Ground, caught at slip. It is only fair to say that he never got out to me again.”
Before signing off, Ashwin did not forget to mention how special the TNCA and Chepauk are to him. “This place has given me so much. I always keep coming back to the TNCA. Tomorrow I might not be alive, but my soul will be hanging around this place,” he said.
Srinivasan, Srikkanth, BCCI president Roger Binny and former India captain Anil Kumble were present on the occasion. Referring to Ashwin as his ‘son’, Srinivasan said: “There will be a place in history for an outstanding off-spinner from Chennai.”
While Kumble praised Ashwin for not allowing challenges to halt his progress over the years, Binny emphasized that the 37-year-old brought the ‘spin genius’ back into the game.
2021
As in Feb 2021
February 26, 2021: The Times of India
From: February 26, 2021: The Times of India
Ashwin scales yet another peak
Offie Cements Greatness, Becomes Second Fastest To Take 400 Test Wickets
K.ShriniwasRao@timesgroup.com
Ahmedabad:
Only Muttiah Muralitharan has taken lesser time to claim 400 scalps in Test cricket.
An alumni of the much-respected Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan school in Chennai, who later did his B-Tech in Information and Technology,.
Nine years and 110 days after he made his debut against the West Indies back in 2011, Ravichandran Ashwin — 34 going on 35 — reached the landmark with Jofra Archer’s wicket in the 24th over on Day Two of the fourth Test match in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
In doing so, he is currently the 16th highest wicket-taker in the game and has a long way to go before he’s done.
The last 12 months have been phenomenal for the Tamil Nadu spinner as he went about picking 39 wickets in just seven Test matches, 13 of those coming on the tour of New Zealand last year and 26 between the tour of Australia and the series against England taking place now.
Such has been the pace at which he’s gone about getting to the coveted milestone, that when India’s Test series in Australia started in December 2020, Nathan Lyon was on 390 wickets and Ashwin on 365 — both in the race to 400. Lyon is currently at 399 while Ashwin has already zoomed past the mark.
For a bowler perennially under the spotlight, especially given the debate on the skewed ratio between his wickets at home and abroad, Ashwin certainly took it upon himself to silence them all. It’s been a long way off since that South African sojourn, where he had gone wicketless for more than 35 overs and the then familiar shadow of doubt would painfully loom every now and then, especially when India played outside Asia.
The fastest to reach 250, 300 and 350 wickets in Test cricket,
His batting, of course, being the cherry on that cake and those crucial knocks — in Australia and Chennai — have put him on the proverbial pedestal reserved for world class all-rounders.
Ashwin now holds the record for the most Man of-the-Series awards for an Indian cricketer and the second most 10-fors for India after Anil Kumble.
A huge movie-buff and often outspoken on societal concerns, the bowling all-rounder has come across as a ‘thinking man’s cricketer’ over the years. The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission roping him in to catch the attention of citizens to create electoral awareness, where Ashwin advised voters to check whether their names are in the electoral roll, is a case in point.
As in 2021, on 6 Dec
Star off-spinner R Ashwin broke an array of records during India's series-clinching win over New Zealand on Day 4 of the second Test in Mumbai.
R Ashwin once again showcased his class as the star off-spinner broke an array of records during India's record 372-run win over New Zealand in the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Ashwin was the main protagonist in India's big win over New Zealand in Mumbai.
Ravichandran Ashwin removed Henry Nicholls to bowl out New Zealand for 167 in their second innings and finished with 4 for 34 as India wrapped up a series win on Monday. With Nicholls's dismissal, Ashwin became only the second Indian bowler to take 300 Test wickets in home conditions, after Anil Kumble.
Most Test wickets in India:
350 Anil Kumble
300 Ravi Ashwin*
265 Harbhajan Singh
219 Kapil Dev
Ashwin also became the second-fastest bowler after Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan to take 300 Test wickets at home. While Muralitharan took 48 Tests to take 300 wickets at home, Ashwin reached the milestone in 49 matches.
Fastest to 300 Test wickets at home:
48 M Muralitharan
49 Ravi Ashwin*
52 Anil Kumble
65 Shane Warne
71 Jimmy Anderson
76 Stuart Broad
Ashwin also went past all-round great Richard Hadlee for most wickets in Test matches played between India and New Zealand. Ashwin dismissed Nicholls, thus taking his 66th wicket in the fixture. While Hadlee took 24 innings to reach the mark, Ashwin got there in 17 innings. With this win, India completed a successful tour after beating the Kiwis 3-0 in the T20I series.
It was the largest victory for India by runs in test cricket. Their previous best margin was 337 runs against South Africa in Delhi in 2015. It was also New Zealand’s biggest test defeat by runs, eclipsing their 358-run loss to South Africa in Johannesburg (2007).
“I enjoyed playing here at Wankhede honestly," Ashwin said. “Every day there was something new and I could challenge both edges.”
He praised the “wonderful performance” of New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel who took 10 wickets in the first innings and 14 in the match.
"It doesn’t spin all the time in Wankhede and he used the seam and put the ball in the right places. There was a bit of destiny involved in his 10-for too.
"I would like to go to South Africa and win a series there. We haven’t done that before, and hopefully we can do it this time.
2023
As in July
July 14, 2023: The Times of India
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From: July 14, 2023: The Times of India
●With Alzarri Joseph’s wicket at Roseau on the first day of the Test, Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his 271st international match, has become the third Indian bowler to complete 700 wickets or more in international cricket, joining Anil Kumble (956 wkts in 403 matches) and Harbhajan Singh (711 in 367).
● Ashwin is one of only 5 Indian ●With Alzarri Joseph’s wicket at Roseau on the first day of the Test, Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his 271st international match, has become the third Indian bowler to complete 700 wickets or more in international cricket, joining Anil Kumble (956 wkts in 403 matches) and Harbhajan Singh (711 in 367).
● Ashwin is one of only 5 Indian
2024
2024 Feb: milestones reached
➤ Off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became only second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble (619) to take 500 Test wickets when he got rid of England opener Zak Crawley in Rajkot on Friday, second day of third Test against England
➤ Overall, Ashwin is 9th bowler and 2nd fastest (98 Tests) to reach the milestone, behind Muttiah Muralitharan (87 Tests)
➤ Since Ashwin’s Test debut in Nov 2011, only Australia’s Nathan Lyon has taken more wickets (509) than him, although in 26 more Tests
➤ Ashwin just third allrounder ever, and first Indian, with 500 Test wickets and 3,000 runs, behind Shane Warne and Stuart Broad
