Ravichandran Ashwin's debut in International Cricket

A versatile bowler with a lot of variety in his armoury, which can also make him look listless at times, Ravichandran Ashwin made his debut during the 2010 Zimbabwe tour where several top players were rested. Over the years he has remarkably secured his place in the Indian team by being one of the most successful bowlers in recent times. He has take more than 100 wickets in just 19 Test matches he has played. He dethroned Harbhajan from the side to become India’s lead spinner. He still has to prove his worth outside the subcontinent and against the mighty opponents.

He has taken more than around 90% of his wickets in India that too against some of the teams who are not well equipped to play spin bowling. He was struggling outside the subcontinent and even in India against sides who can handle spin better. Nevertheless his variations make him a tough bowler in limited overs cricket. He is also a very good batsman and the team can rely on him down the order for some crucial runs.

Ravi made his debut for Tamil Nadu in 2006, he has a calm approach and a determined heart. He watched Mendis in a game much before he played for Sri Lanka and practiced his carrom ball in nets and by the time the carrom ball became a phenomenon, Ravi had this variation in his hands. Ashwin was bowling really well in domestic circuit and was a  recognized name in the cricketing fraternity. In 2008 he got a contract for IPL and he joined Chennai Superkings and he was a well known face after his good show in the IPL. In 2010 he became an integral part of CSK and helped them win the 2010 title.

With his performances he was knocking on the doors of the Indian team but was not getting any opportunity. But finally he found his place in the playing 11 against Sri Lanka on June 5, 2010 in a triangular series in Zimbabwe where he took two wickets for 50 runs in his 10 overs. But he was handy with the bat, he scored 38 coming down the order for the struggling Indian team. After that he was constantly present in the ODI squad but was not really getting any chances to play ahead of Harbhajan Singh. He only got chances when Bhajji was rested or when India played more spinners on rough tracks. He was also a part of India’s successful World cup campaign.

But once Bhajji lost his form and got sidelined by injury, Ashwin took charge as the leading Indian spinner. He proved his worth in Test cricket in his debut series against the visiting Windies. He was named the man of the series for his 22 wickets and a century in the series. His overseas performances still give worries to the think tank. He was dropped for the last Test against South Africa.

He is the fastest Indian to reach the milestone of 100 Test wickets. But still he has to walk a long mile from here on and will have to prove himself time and again to keep his postion as the best Indian spinner.