Three best spells by Ravichandran Ashwin against New Zealand
Ravichandran Ashwin has been India's most successful off-spin bowler in the last ten years. The Tamil Nadu-based player has proven to be a match-winner for the country, especially in the most extended format of the game.
Having made his Test debut in 2011, Ravichandran Ashwin has played 78 Test matches in his career, scalping 409 wickets at a strike rate of 52.62.
Ashwin is an impact player, and once he gets going, he turns the game in his team's favor by picking up wickets at regular intervals.
Ashwin has taken 30 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, and six of them have come against New Zealand. With the Indian all-rounder set to battle the Kiwis next month in the ICC World Test Championship Final, here's a look at his three best bowling performances versus the Blackcaps.
3. 6/132 - Green Park, 2016
Kanpur played host to the opening match of the India vs New Zealand Test series in 2016/17. The Indian cricket team dominated the proceedings at Green Park as they set a 434-run target for the visitors.
The New Zealand team had some big names like Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill in their top-order. However, Ravichandran Ashwin ensured that the Kiwis had no chance of chasing the mammoth score.
Ashwin got rid of Latham, Williamson and Guptill before the Kiwis touched the 50-run mark. Soon, Taylor got run out as New Zealand were down to 56/4. Mitchell Santner and Luke Ronchi tried to fight back by scoring a fifty each, but Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership by dismissing Ronchi.
Soon, Ashwin trapped Santner in front of the stumps and then picked up the tail-enders' wickets to give India a 197-run win. Ashwin ended with figures of 6/132 in 35.3 overs.
2. 6/31 - Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, 2012
It was the first time Ravichandran Ashwin was playing a Test against New Zealand. Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium hosted the game.
Batting first, India posted a 438-run total on the board, riding on Cheteshwar Pujara's century. The Kiwis had a top-quality batting lineup featuring the likes of Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, James Franklin, Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill. However, none of them could get going.
Ravichandran Ashwin ran through the Kiwi lineup in his spell of 16.3 overs. He dismissed Guptill, Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Jeetan Patel, Trent Boult and Chris Martin enroute to his 6/31. He accounted for six more wickets in the second innings and won the Player of the Match award for his heroic display.
1. 7/59 - Holkar Stadium, 2016
On a wicket where India declared their first innings at 557/5, Ravichandran Ashwin picked up a 7-wicket haul in just 13.5 overs. After a superb all-round performance in the first innings, India set a 475-run target for the Kiwis.
Ashwin, who had taken a six-wicket haul in the first innings, emerged as the wrecker-in-chief once again as he bagged seven wickets in the second innings. The off-spinner first trapped Kane Williamson in front of his stumps, before rattling the stumps of Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi.
Mitchell Santner and Jeetan Patel were the next to lose their wickets to Ashwin. Eventually, Trent Boult handed a return catch to the Indian offie as the home team recorded a 321-run victory. Ashwin claimed the Man of the Match award despite Virat Kohli's double century.
It was a special game for Ashwin, and the Indian fans will hope that he can trouble the Kiwi players once again in the ICC World Test Championship Final.