The Rise and Rise of Ravichandran Ashwin
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Following India’s emphatic 197-run victory against New Zealand at the first test in Kanpur, it is once again proved that Ravichandran Ashwin is the world’s number-one bowler in recent times. He made his debut just five years back, but since then he never looked back. His 200-wicket in 37 tests is the fastest by an Indian bowler. Kumble took 10 more tests to achieve the feat while Bhajji played 9 more tests to accomplish the same.
What separates Ashwin from the rest is his knack of taking wickets at crucial times irrespective of the grounds. He did the same at Kanpur picking up 10 wickets in the match and almost single-handedly helped India clinch the 1st test against the visitors. It also marked Ashwin’s entry into the elite 200-wicket taker clubs. Astonishingly, he scalped 200-test-wicket in record 37 test matches only just behind the Aussie spinner Grimmett, who took as many wickets in 36-test.
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In the post match ceremony earlier today, Virat Kohli showered full praise on Ashwin saying, “If you see all the impact players in the world, he comes in the top three-four easily”. The latest ICC world bowlers’ ranking currently places Ashwin among the top-5 bowlers across formats.
Top 5 Bowlers To Have Claimed Fastest 200 wickets
| Bowler/ Country | Opposition | Year | Venue | Number of Tests |
| Clarrie Grimmet (Australia) | South Africa | 1936 | Johannesburg (South Africa) | 36 |
| R Ashwin (India) | New Zealand | 2016 | Kanpur (India) | 37 |
| Dennis Lillee (Australia) | England | 1980 | Melbourne (Australia) | 38 |
| Waqar Younis (Pakistan) | New Zealand | 1995 | Christchurch (New Zealand) | 38 |
| Dale Steyn (South Africa) | West Indies | 2010 | Port of Spain (Jamaica) | 39 |
Sachin Tendulkar Vs R Ashwin
Before jumping into a conclusion that it’s improper to compare a batsman with a bowler then you have to read below. It is not a comparison, but an analysis to show how Ashwin is continuously outshining the records of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar with his sublime form this year.
Sachin Tendulkar has hit just 1 test hundred on Carribean soil while R Ashwin got 2 test hundreds on Carribean venues. Ashwin accomplished the feat last month on India’s tour of West Indies.
R Ashwin is currently the leading man-of-the-series holder from India with 6 player-of-the-tournament trophies, eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, who got 5 trophies each in their illustrious cricket career.
Ashwin is expected to scale greater heights of success in the coming years – he is just 30 now. Certainly, India’s long time search for a quality all-rounder at tests definitely ends with Ashwin. He is already a legend just a few years away from entering into world’s all-time great dream team XI.
Ashwin is Unstoppable
After mesmerizing the fans with his awe-struck performance in the IPL matches and other T20s, the ace off-spinner took no time to continue his magnificent form at other formats too.
Soon, he became India’s best weapon at spin department in the post Harbhajan Singh era. There were some close contests in the beginning with Bhajji, but soon Ashwin cemented his berth for team India across formats. Thereafter he crossed all hurdles at ease thanks to his spectacular all-round performance over the years.
The Chennai-born cricketer’s calm and composed behavior off the field has won lots of fans and admirers across the globe. He is a relentless learner and continues to improve his bowling and batting taking the same to another level. No doubt, he will re-script many histories in the days ahead.
