Better Strike Rate Than Muttiah Muralitharan, Most Wickets vs Left-Handers 10 Numbers That Define R Ashwin
R Ashwin has been a bigger series-winner for India in India than the great Muthiah Muralidaran was for Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka or James Anderson has been for England in England.
He is India's biggest match-winner in Test cricket at home! He is India's biggest series-winner in Test cricket in their own backyard. He has had a greater impact on home soil than Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli and even Anil Kumble. It gets better. He has been a bigger series-winner for India in India than the great Muthiah Muralidaran was for Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka or James Anderson has been for England in England.
R Ashwin is already a legend in Test cricket and amongst the pantheon of all-time great bowlers of the game. As India gets ready for another home season, all eyes will be on the wily off-spinner, who, with a tally of 363 dismissals is already the fourth-highest wicket-taker on home soil in Test cricket history!
Ashwin was at the top of the wicket charts the last time India played a Test series on home soil - that was in February against England. His 26 wickets at 24.8 apiece played a pivotal role in routing England 4-1.Â
As India prepares to host Bangladesh with the first Test set to get underway at Chepauk from the 19th of this month, we look at 10 statistical insights, as mentioned by rg.org, which make Ashwin the colossal he is in India in Test cricket.
363 - The fourth-highest number of wickets on home soil in Test history
Ashwin has picked 363 wickets in 60 home Tests at an average of 21.15. Only three bowlers in the history of Test cricket have bagged more wickets in their own backyard. Muthiah Muralidaran returned with 493 wickets in 73 Tests in Sri Lanka and is followed by James Anderson who has picked 438 wickets in 106 matches in England. Stuart Broad is at number 3 with 398 wickets in 98 Tests in England.
45.8 - The best strike rate for a spinner at home in Test history
Ashwin's greatest attribute has been his propensity to pick wickets. Off spinners have traditionally been viewed as restrictive bowlers whereas it the wrist spinners who have been labelled as the wicket-takers in Test cricket. Ashwin has debunked this myth through his career and is as attacking a spinner as there has ever been in the 147 years of Test cricket. His strike rate of 45.8 is the best amongst the 30 spinners who have picked a minimum of 100 wickets at home. Basically, this means Ashwin is a bigger wicket-taker in India than even Muraidaran was in Sri Lanka (strike rate of 50.8)! In fact, Ashwin's overall bowling strike rate of 50.7 is also the best for a spinner in Test history (minimum 150 wickets). Stuart MacGill (strike rate of 54), Muralidaran (55), Shane Warne (57.4) and Yasir Shah (58.4) complete the top 5.
Most Series-Defining Performances for a bowler at home in Test cricket
A series-defining performance (or SD) is a high impact performance by a player in a series. It is given for a great 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. It is also given for a high impact performance in a Test which helps the respective team to draw level from behind. And finally, 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, here is the staggering fact - Ashwin has produced as many as 10 SDs in India in just 18 series - that is basically one SD in every two series - that is how great Ashwin has been at home for India. It is a mind-boggling achievement. No bowler has been a bigger series-winner at home than Ashwin in Test history! Just for perspective, Muralidaran had 7 SDs in 25 series in Sri Lanka!
Most 20+ wickets in a series at home in Test cricket history
Ashwin has a tendency to run through opposition units and picks wickets in heaps. He has returned with 20 or more wickets in a home series on as many as 9 occasions - a feat only matched by Murali! Notably, six of Ashwin's nine 20+ series-wicket tallies have come against Australia and England (three each) - an indicator that he raises his game against the best in the business.
A part of the Famous 5 who have picked 30+ wickets in a home series on two occasions
Ashwin returned with 31 wickets against South Africa in the home series in 2015 and then picked 32 wickets against England in 2021. Only four other bowlers have picked 30+ wickets on two instances in a home series. They are Alec Bedser, Ian Botham, Clarrie Grimmett and Craig McDermott!
Most five-wicket hauls at home after Murali
Ashwin has bagged 28 five-wicket hauls in India in 117 bowling innings. Only Murali with 43 in 132 innings in Sri Lanka has more five-wicket hauls at home. Herath (26), Kumble (25) and Anderson (24) complete the top 5.
Ashwin is a higher impact bowler in India than Anil KumbleÂ
Ashwin has been a bigger wicket-taker at home than Kumble. He has a better bowling average (21.15 vs 24.5) and strike rate (45.8 vs 58.7) and has also outdone Kumble on the SD count. Ashwin - the bowler - has 10 SDs in India whereas Kumble had six. The off spinner has also bagged 20+ wickets in a home series on 9 occasions whereas Kumble achieved the feat on six instances.
Ashwin has outperformed Jadeja in home Tests they have played togetherÂ
Ashwin has played 44 Tests in India with Ravindra Jadeja and has picked 257 wickets at a strike rate of 27.1 with 20 fifers and five 10-wicket match-hauls. Jadeja, on the other hand, has bagged 213 wickets in these 44 matches at a strike rate of 53.1 with 11 fifers and two ten-wicket hauls.
The most wickets against left-handers in Test cricket history
Ashwin is the greatest bowler in Test history against left-handers. His natural stock delivery moving away from the left-handers has tormented their ilk throughout his career. No bowler in the history of Test cricket has dismissed more left-handers than Ashwin. He has accounted for 256 LHB in his illustrious Test career at an average of 19.3 and strike rate of 46.6.
98 & 25714 - The second-fastest to 500 Test wickets in terms of Tests played and balls bowled
Ashwin is the second-fastest to the milestone of 500 Test wickets both in terms of number of Tests played and balls bowled. He reached the landmark of 500 Test wickets in the third Test against England at Rajkot in February this year. Ashwin achieved the feat in 98 Tests making him the second-fastest in terms of number of matches after Muralidaran who reached the milestone in his 87th Test. Ashwin was also the second-fastest in terms of number of deliveries bowled. He took 25714 balls to make it to the 500-Club. Only Glenn McGrath was quicker reaching there in 25528 deliveries.
Ravichandran Ashwin
India Cricket Team