R Ashwin announced his international retirement at the end of the Brisbane Test (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
R Ashwin announced his international retirement at the end of the Gabba Test against Australia last week. He will go down in history as one of the greatest spinners to have ever played the game with an exception record in Test cricket. Ashwin ended his career with 537 Test wickets in 106 Tests at an average of 24 and strike rate of 50.7 with 37 fifers and 8 ten-wicket match hauls.
RG looks at the numbers which define Ashwin’s Test career.
50.7 – The best bowling strike rate for a spinner in Test history
Ashwin was a big wicket-taker in Test cricket and despite being an off-spinner, there was no defensive bone in his body. 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.
383 – The fourth-highest number of wickets at home in Test history
Ashwin bagged a whopping 383 wickets in 65 Tests in India at a stunning average of 21.57 and strike rate of 46. Only Murali, 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 bowling strike rate of 50.8 in Sri Lanka.
11 – Most Series-Defining Performances for a bowler at home in Test cricket
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. 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!
10 – The number of times Ashwin picked 20+ wickets in a series
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 won 11 Player of the Series Awards in Test cricket in just 44 series. Murali also won 11 but in 61 series.
57.55% - The best win percentage for an Indian in Test cricket
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 Shaner Warne – basically, all Australians were part of the world-beating team in the late 1990s and 2000s.
180 – The number of wickets with the new ball for Ashwin
Ashwin took the red-cherry for India in 54 matches and bagged 180 wickets with the new ball. He accounted for 133 wickets in the first 20 overs of the opposition innings which are the third-highest in that phase of play since 2002 only after James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
268 – Most wickets against left-handed batters in Test history
Ashwin was a nightmare for left-handed batters and picked 268 wickets at an average of 19.9 and strike rate of 46.9. No bowler in Test history has bagged more wickets than Ashwin against left-handers.
98 & 25714 – The second-fastest to 500 Test wickets in terms of Tests played and balls bowled
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 25714 balls to the landmark. Only Glenn McGrath was quicker reaching there in 25528 deliveries.
Nikhil Narain is a die-hard cricket romantic, published author, and has worked for some of the leading digital websites and broadcasters in India and overseas. An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Nikhil's forte is using data and numbers creatively to weave interesting stories and revolutionize the way cricket statistics are generated and analyzed.
