Ravichandran Ashwin: The World’s Best Test Bowler

India’s most dependable strike bowler of 2015 is now the world’s best test bowler and allrounder. 

- Akhila Ranganna

What a difference a year can make.

In December, 2014, India was on the cusp of a gruelling tour of Australia, and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was not a happy camper. Wickets, especially in tests, had been hard to come by, he had been labelled a spin-track bully, murmurs over why he was being persisted with despite repeated failures overseas were doing the rounds and, even though he had become the fastest Indian bowler to 100 Test wickets, he had to suffer the ignominy of being in and out of the side on the preceding tours to South Africa, New Zealand and England. The unkindest cut came when rookie leg-spinner Karn Sharma was picked over him for the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.

One year later and it's back Down Under. India are all set to begin a ODI tour of Australia, but this time there is no cloud of uncertainty hanging over Ashwin's head. He had a staggeringly successful 2015, with wickets by the bucketload and the awards to match; he’s also the No. 1 bowler and all-rounder in the ICC test cricket rankings, his undisputed place as the leader of the India's bowling attack now firmly set in stone. To say that Ashwin has been on a roll in the last one year would be an understatement. First, the cold, hard facts, because statistics don't lie. In 2015, Ashwin picked up 62 Test wickets at an average of 17.20, with seven five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls. Compare this with his record over 2013 and 2014 — 51 wickets at 26.68, four five-wicket hauls and no 10-wicket hauls. To put his performance into perspective, the legendary Shane Warne never managed more than six five-fors in one calendar year. Ashwin also enjoyed his second-best career bowling average in ODIs, apart from bagging two Man of the Series and one Man of the Match award during this period.