Ravichandran Ashwin gave cricket-crazy India the right Christmas present when he completed off the nerve-wrecking chase towards Bangladesh in type – hitting a flurry of boundaries towards Mehidy Hasan Miraz. At 74/7, chasing a modest goal of 145, India stared at a shock defeat earlier than Ashwin joined Shreyas Iyer to register a memorable victory in Mirpur.
Ashwin’s second inning heroics within the Mirpur Test overshadowed a big milestone he achieved within the first innings. Ashwin had accomplished 3,000 Test runs when he hit Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan for a 4 within the third session of day two.
After his Player of the Match efficiency, social media was flooded with posts evaluating him to Kapil Dev, arguably India’s biggest all-rounder. The comparisons, nevertheless, weren’t with out a cause.
Ashwin had change into solely the second Indian after Dev to finish a Test double of three,000 runs and 400 wickets. Only 4 different cricketers – Sir Richard Hadlee, the late Shane Warne, Shaun Pollock, and Stuart Broad – have accomplished this feat to date.
Moreover, Ashwin (88 Tests) is the second quickest to the milestone after Hadlee who reached the mark in his 83rd Test. His compatriot Dev reached the milestone in his one hundred and fifteenth Test, when he took his four-hundredth wicket.
Dev and Hadlee have been a part of the ‘all-rounder quartet’ of the Nineteen Eighties that included Imran Khan and Ian Botham, whereas Warne and Broad have discovered a spot within the record solely attributable to their useful lower-order batting and lengthy careers.
Ashwin’s all-round file is predicted to hit the headlines as soon as once more in February 2023, if he takes his 450th Test wicket towards the touring Australian workforce. In doing so, he will likely be becoming a member of Warne and Broad in having 450 Test wickets and three,000 runs. Yet, he will likely be peerless as a modern-day all-rounder.
Ashwin’s batting file pales compared to his awe-inspiring bowling statistics. Several critics refuse to name him a ‘real’ all-rounder, primarily attributable to lack of batting exploits in restricted overs cricket.
However, the idea of ‘all-rounder’ itself is open to a number of interpretations. Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis are maybe probably the most outstanding examples of ‘batting all-rounders’ whereas Hadlee and Dev have been quintessential ‘bowling all-rounders’. Ultimately, all-rounders are more likely to be extra dominant in both batting or bowling.
Ashwin’s stats
Let us do a statistical deep dive to place Ashwin’s all-round Test file in perspective.
The statistical similarities between Ashwin and Hadlee are fairly putting. Like Hadlee, Ashwin is taken into account a ‘bowling all-rounder’. While Hadlee had 431 wickets in 86 Tests, Ashwin had 442 in the identical variety of matches. Both gamers even have lot of fifers and 10-fors towards their names – Hadlee’s 36 fifers and 9 10-fors as towards Ashwin’s 30 fifers and 7 10-wicket hauls. Ashwin has scored 3,043 runs at a median of 27.41, whereas Hadlee ended his profession with 3,124 runs at a median of 27.17.
In February 2023, the off-spinner can change into the second quickest bowler to 450 wickets after Muttiah Muralitharan. Warne and Broad, the opposite two bowlers within the ‘450 wicket-3,000 run membership’, will not be even shut. In addition, their batting averages are effectively beneath 20 to qualify for the all-rounder tag.
In truth, Ashwin is predicted to be the quickest to enter the ‘450 wicket-3,000 run membership’ regardless of a notable hunch in his batting since 2017. The off-spinner accomplished 2,000 Test runs in 71 innings – faster than Hadlee, Khan, and Pollock however 5 innings slower than Botham and an inning greater than Dev. Had Ashwin maintained or improved his batting stats after reaching this milestone, he might have crushed Hadlee’s all-round file by an enormous margin.
To high all of it, Ashwin has achieved the uncommon all-round feat of a Test century and 5 wickets in an innings thrice – twice versus West Indies, as soon as towards England. Only Botham (5) surpasses him on this regard.
But cricket, particularly Test cricket, just isn’t solely about glitzy statistics and private milestones. Numbers can lie and the regulation of averages might be merciless for a lot of cricketers whose contributions go a lot past plain numbers. Three Ts – Technique, Temperament and Tenacity – are key to thrive in the very best type of cricket. Ashwin has all three and has proved it on a number of events.
The spin wizard confirmed his all-round functionality in his third Test itself, when he hit his maiden century to assist India keep away from a humiliating follow-on towards the West Indies. With 9 wickets within the match, Ashwin’s efficiency received him the Player of the Match award. Fast ahead to India’s legendary tour of Australia in 2020-21 and the world noticed a defiant Ashwin workforce up with Hanuma Vihari to eke out a draw from the jaws of a sure defeat.
Never-say-die perspective
Ashwin is a fighter with a never-say-die perspective, which has helped him evolve right into a cricketer who places a premium on his wicket whereas bowling and batting. For Ashwin, cricket is a sport of chess performed on the 22-yard subject, replete with thoughts video games. Hence, it’s pure for cricket analysts to name Ashwin the most effective thinkers in fashionable cricket.
The ‘thinker’ in Ashwin got here out throughout a video dialog with Cheteshwar Pujara on bcci.television. Asked about his batting mantra in crunch conditions, the off spinner replied: “…Don’t think it (taking the aerial route) is the right way to go because bowlers are building the pressure. You can’t do it and get away every single time.” He added that cricket have to be performed with “steely defence” beneath strain – an announcement that may certainly make Rahul Dravid proud!
Critics, nevertheless, level in the direction of Ashwin’s poor file in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) to disclaim him the ‘G.O.A.T’ all-rounder tag. The criticism just isn’t incorrect.
Ashwin’s dwelling versus away file is lopsided in favour of dwelling situations. With 312 wickets at a median of 21, Ashwin’s dwelling file is unparalleled. However, his bowling file in SENA nations stays poor – 70 wickets at 39.34 runs apiece. His abroad batting file appears wholesome for somebody who fairly often bats decrease down the order. Yet, there’s a big scope for enchancment.
Given Ashwin’s capacity to critically analyse his sport and are available out stronger, we might get to see a renewed Ashwin taking his all-round sport to the subsequent stage in South Africa subsequent December. Till then, he will likely be seeking to proceed his domination at dwelling and his favorite looking floor – West Indies.
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