R Ashwin retires: 5 best underrated spells from the off-spinner in international cricket
Ace Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin unexpectedly announced his international retirement with immediate effect following the conclusion of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane.
The second-highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket has left behind a lasting legacy, so it will be an arduous task for the team to search for a spinner of Ashwin’s calibre, especially in home Tests.
Since making his debut for India in ODIs in 2010, there was no looking back for the star off-spinner. He went on to become India’s leading spinner and played 65 consecutive home Tests.
His track record against top-quality nations was something to behold, and he never allowed his form to dip, taking wickets for fun in almost every format of the game. As his career progressed, the emergence of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal forced Ashwin out of reckoning in white-ball formats, but the team remained reliant on his experience.
Hence, he was recalled for most of the ICC events. Over the years, Ashwin bowled several match-winning spells, but some of them went under the radar and he didn't get the credit he deserved.
Here, we take a look at five of the most underrated spells of Ashwin in international cricket:
#5 2-52 vs Australia in Ahmedabad, 2011 ODI World Cup quarter-final
The young off-spinner had created waves in the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings, but this particular spell made him a household name. Just a year into his international career, Ashwin was given a tough proposition of bowling with the new ball, but he didn't disappoint.
India were touted as the favourites to win the tournament in the subcontinent, but they faced a massive hurdle in Australia in the quarter-final. Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat, and Ashwin was in the firing line straight away. He was handed over the ball by captain MS Dhoni, and the offie produced a memorable spell.
Ashwin bagged the wicket of Shane Watson on the final delivery of the 10th over. He bowled a nagging line and length and got enough purchase from the wicket. In his final spell, Ashwin got rid of Ponting who had scored a well-made century.
Ashwin finished with figures of 2-52 in 10 overs and played a crucial role in the eventual win for India. Riding on impressive half-centuries from Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, India chased down the target of 261 with 14 deliveries to spare.
#4 4-62 vs England in Birmingham, 2018 Test
Despite all his credentials as an off-spinner and incredible record in home Tests, Ashwin has coped criticism for not having a good record in SENA countries. It was one of those matches when the experienced campaigner made his presence felt with a brilliant spell against England in the opening Test of the 2018 tour in Birmingham.
Ravichandran Ashwin was introduced pretty early in the innings, and he almost immediately made an impact. He bowled an absolute peach of a delivery to Alastair Cook to castle his stumps. Ashwin never really allowed the England batters to dominate and bowled with great guile and deception.
He kept chipping away when the England batters looked set and eventually managed three more wickets to finish with brilliant figures of 4-62. The offie dismissed Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in quick succession before trapping Stuart Broad to bowl England out for 287. Unfortunately, India lost by 31 runs after a collapse in the second innings.
#3 4-113 vs South Africa in Centurion, 2018 Test
Another underrated spell of Ravichandran Ashwin came against South Africa in Centurion in 2018. It was the second Test of the three-match series and India trailing 1-0. Batting first, South Africa were in a great position until Ravichandran Ashwin stalled their progress.
After a solid 85-run stand between Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, Ashwin broke the stand, getting rid of Elgar after making him dance to his tunes. Markram was Ashwin’s next scalp after making a top-quality 94.
The off-spinner never gave anything away and kept persisting with his immaculate line and lengths and natural drift. He went on to add two more wickets to his tally, taking out Quinton de Kock and Morne Morkel. Despite his impressive spell, South Africa won by 135 runs.
#2 4-55 vs Australia in Adelaide, 2020 Test
It remains one of the finest forgotten spells bowled by the legendary off-spinner. Most of the cricketing fraternity remembers the Test as the ‘36 all out', fiasco but there was much more to the match before India’s incredible collapse. India had scored a competitive 244 in the first innings, and the match was set up perfectly.
Ashwin, who had visualised dismissing Steve Smith before the series, had sought out some plans to counter the likes of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. Bumrah provided two early wickets, and the onus was on Ashwin to help India control the game. He made an impact straightaway, dismissing the dangerous Smith, inducing an edge to Ajinkya Rahane at slip.
He then added the wicket of India’s current nemesis Travis Head by luring him into a drive with a delivery that dropped on the left-hander. The Tamil Nadu bowler kept spinning a web on the Australian batters as he picked up the wickets of Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon. He eventually finished with figures of 4-55, but India eventually lost by eight wickets after a stunning second-innings collapse.
#1 2-15 vs England in Birmingham, 2013 Champions Trophy final
It should rank as the most underrated spells bowled by Ashwin, given the magnitude of the game. It was the 2013 Champions Trophy final, and persistent rain throughout the day meant that the 50-over contest was reduced to a 20-over-a-side affair.
India were put into bat by Alastair Cook under overcast conditions, with the ball hooping around. Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli’s vital contributions at the top of the order laid the foundation, but India lost their way in the middle overs. It required a quickfire cameo from Ravindra Jadeja to take them to 129.
The positive for India at the halfway stage was the amount of assistance the spinners were getting. MS Dhoni showed his incredible captaincy skills for the umpteenth time, using the spinners quite brilliantly during the run chase. Ashwin deceived Jonathan Trott early on in the innings to reduce England to 28-2.
It seemed done and dusted for India when Eoin Morgan and Ravi Boparai were going great guns, but a double break in the 18th over of Ishant Sharma turned the game around. Dhoni kept one over of Ashwin, who was asked to bowl the most difficult over. With 15 required off six deliveries, Ashwin produced a superb over, bowling India to a five-run win.