Ravichandran Ashwin announced his international retirement at the end of the Brisbane Test against Australia. He was an all-time great with 537 Test wickets in 106 matches at an average of 24 and strike rate of 50.7. (More Cricket News)7xm

Ashwin had the mindset of a fast bowler in the garb of an off-spinner. There was no defensive bone in his body and he was always plotting ways and strategies to outfox the opposition batters. We look at 10 numbers which define Ashwin’s Test career.

Ashwin was a big wicket-taker in Test cricket. His bowling strike rate of 50.7 is the best ever for a spinner in Test cricket history (min. 150 wickets). Just for perspective, Muttiah Muralitharan had a strike rate of 55, Shane Warne – 57.4, Nathan Lyon – 62.2 and Anil Kumble – 65.9.

Ashwin bagged 374 wickets in wins for India, which places him at number 5 on the all-time list, only behind Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath and James Anderson. A remarkable 69.56% of Ashwin’s wickets came in wins for India, showcasing his contribution in India’s success.

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Ashwin bagged a whopping 383 wickets in 65 Tests in India at a stunning average of 21.57 and strike rate of 46. Only Muralitharan, James Anderson and Stuart Broad took more wickets at home than Ashwin. Ashwin’s bowling strike rate of 46 in India is the best for a spinner in home conditions in Test history. Murali had a strike rate of 50.8 in Sri Lanka.

A series-defining performance (or simply SD) is a defining performance by a player in a series. It is given for a high-impact performance in a Test, which dictates the result of a series – which could be the series-decider or the only result-Test in a series.

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Japan also began their campaign with a 5-5 draw against Korea but has since struggled to secure a win. They lost their second game 5-1 to India and followed that with a 2-1 defeat against Pakistan.

It is also given for a high-impact performance in a Test which helps the respective team to draw level from behind. And last but not the least, it is also awarded for sustained excellence in a series and as such a player wins an SD for two (or more) high-impact performances in wins in a triumphant series.

Now, Ashwin had as many as 11 SDs in India in 20 series (not counting one-off Test series) – that is a staggering record and a testament of his greatness as a bowler in home conditions. No bowler has been a bigger series-winner at home than Ashwin in Test history. Just for perspective, Murali had 7 SDs in 25 series in Sri Lanka.

Ashwin took 20-plus wickets in a Test series on as many as 10 occasions. His highest tally came against England in the home series of 2021, when he returned with 32 dismissals at an average of 14.7.

The other instance where he bagged 30-plus wickets came in the 3-0 win against South Africa in 2015, where Ashwin picked 31 wickets at an average of 11.1. Only four other bowlers have picked 30+ wickets on two occasions in a home series. They are Alec Bedser, Ian Botham, Clarrie Grimmett and Craig McDermott.

Ashwin picked 25-plus wickets in a series seven times in his Test career – the most for any bowler. Warne and Murali follow, having achieved the feat on six occasions each.

Ashwin won 11 Player of the Series Awards in Test cricket in 44 series. Murali also won 11, but in 61 series.

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Ashwin was involved in 61 victorious Tests out of a total of 106 matches that he played for India. That is a win percentage of 57.55%. It is the highest such win percentage for India and the sixth-highest overall (min. 100 Tests) after Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne – all Australians were part of the world-beating team in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Ashwin was a nightmare for left-handed batters and picked 268 wickets at an average of 19.84 and strike rate of 46.9. No bowler in Test history has bagged more wickets than Ashwin against left-handers. Amongst the 76 bowlers who have dismissed a minimum of 50 left-handers, Ashwin has the second-best average, only after Curtly Ambrose (18.59).

Ashwin reached the milestone of 500 Test wickets in the third Test against England at Rajkot in February 2024. He achieved the feat in 98 Tests, making him the second-fastest in terms of number of matches after Muralitharan, who reached the milestone in his 87th Test.

Ashwin was also the second-fastest in terms of number of deliveries bowled to reach the 500 club. He took 25,714 balls to reach the landmark. Only Glenn McGrath was quicker reaching there in 25,528 deliveries.

Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were the greatest spin duo to have ever partnered in Test cricket. They picked 587 wickets in matches they played together which puts them in the top position for any spin pair. Anderson-Broad (1,039), McGrath-Warne (1,001), Murali-Vaas (895), Ambrose-Walsh (762) and Starc-Lyon (688) constitute the top 5.

Ashwin was instrumental in India’s famous win in Adelaide in 2018, bagging three wickets in both innings. He accounted for the three left-handers – Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja in the first innings while seeing the back of Khawaja7xm, Aaron Finch and Josh Hazlewood in the second.

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