Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket on 18 December 2024, marking the end of a highly successful career spanning ten years. Known for his mastery in Test and limited-overs formats, Ashwin's contribution was significant Indiarise as a top cricketing nation.
Ravichandran Ashwin's glorious international career for India
His consistency and versatility earned him 765 wickets in international cricket, including 537 in Tests. Ashwin's skill in spin-friendly conditions and his ability to deliver crucial performances against top teams made him one of India's best match-winners. He holds the distinction of being the fastest Indian bowler to reach milestones from 50 Test wickets to 500 Test wickets.
Ashwin's career has been marked by several match-defining spells, most notably his 7/59 against New Zealand and 6/55 against England in Tests. His contributions with the bat further enhanced his bowling ability, with crucial runs at lower order in Tests and ODIs. Ashwin's retirement marks the end of an illustrious career, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of India's greatest all-round cricketers.
Ashwin: Master of five-wicket hauls
Ashwin's mastery with the ball is best characterized by his ability to claim five-wicket hauls consistently across all formats of the game. In Test cricket, he has achieved the incredible milestone 37 times in just 106 matches, including eight ten-wicket matches. These performances have come against almost every major cricketing nation, with notable displays such as 7/59 against New Zealand and 6/55 against England. His dominance in test matches is further highlighted by his consistent success at home and in spin-friendly conditions.
In ODIs, Ashwin's chances of a five-wicket haul have been limited, but his spell of 4/25 against United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the ODI Cricket World Cup 2015 was a highlight, underscoring his effectiveness in white-ball cricket. In T20Is, Ashwin has delivered with incredible efficiency, with his best figures of 4/8 coming against Sri Lanka in 2016, a testament to his ability and skill in the shortest format. Across formats, his contributions have been evenly spread against cricket's leading nations, showcasing his versatility and impact.
Read also: Here's how every IPL franchise reacted to Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement from international cricket
Ashwin takes five wickets in Test cricket
- New Zealand: 6 five-wicket hauls, including a career best 7/59.
- England: 8 five-wicket hauls, including match-defining performances like 6/55.
- Australia: 7 five-wicket haul, showing his leadership in a high-stakes series.
- The West Indies: 6 five-wicket hauls, with his best figures of 7/71 in spin-friendly conditions.
- South Africa: 5 five-wicket haul, showing his ability against the quality of the opposition.
- Sri Lanka: 3 five-wicket hauls, including match-turning spells like 6/46.
- Bangladesh: 2 five-wicket haul, showing his dominance in sub-continental conditions.
- Afghanistan: 1 five-wicket haul during their debut Test.
Ashwin's outstanding performances in ODIs
- The best figures: 4/25 against UAE in World Cup 2015.
- A consistent catcher against teams like Sri Lanka and England with economical spells.
- Limited opportunities for five-wicket hauls due to demands of role and format.
Ashwin'the top performances in T20Is
- Sri Lanka: The best figures of 4/8 in 2016, showing his ability to make bamboo with changes.
- Australia: Memorable spells, including 4/11, in critical events.
- Zimbabwe and South Africa: A consistent contributor with several three-wicket hauls.
- Namibia and the Netherlands: Ruled by critical game-winning spells.
Ashwin's batting impact: Centuries in international cricket
Ashwin's batting, although known primarily for his bowling ability, has contributed significantly to India's success in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. His ability to deliver useful runs in key positions has been invaluable in games across formats. Below, we break down his batting performance in these formats and highlight his contributions against a number of cricket's leading nations.
Test cricket: batting contributions
Ashwin has been known for his ruthless batting in the lower order, especially in test matches where he played 106 matches and scored 3503 runs at an average of 25.75.
- Centuries: 6 century
- Fifty: 14 fifty
- zero: 9 hearing to be dismissed for a duck
- His best test score of 124 came against the The West Indiesdisplaying his ability to play match-defining innings.
- Against New ZealandAshwin scored 294 runs at 17.29, proving his effectiveness in spin-friendly conditions.
- Against Englandhe scored 1086 runs at 32.90, hitting a century and six fifties, often playing crucial hits in difficult situations.
- Against AustraliaAshwin scored 572 runs at 17.33, including three fifties, showing resilience in difficult conditions, seaming.
- Against The West Indieshe scored 608 runs at 50.66, including a century, playing some of his best knocks against spin-friendly opposition. He scored four hundreds by himself in the Caribbean.
- Against South AfricaAshwin amassed 321 runs at 17.83, contributing to lower-order runs in challenging overseas conditions.
- Against Sri LankaAshwin scored 333 runs at 20.81, showing utility in sub-continental conditions.
ODI Cricket: Contribution of batting
In ODIs, Ashwin's career has been largely that of a lower-order bowler, scoring 707 runs at an average of 16.44 in 116 matches.
- Centuries:0
- Fifty:1
- zero: 6 hearing to be charged for a duck
- His best ODI score of 65 came against him New Zealandplaying an important game saving knock for India
- Against Sri LankaAshwin scored 132 runs at 16.50, often adding valuable runs in the middle order.
- Against Englandhe scored 128 runs at 14.22, delivering lower order runs at critical times.
- Against The West IndiesAshwin scored 135 runs at 33.75, playing a key role in controlling the innings in World Cup encounters.
T20I Cricket: Batting Contribution
In T20Is, Ashwin's career has been more about providing finishing power, scoring 184 runs at an average of 26.28 in 65 matches.
- Centuries:0
- Fifty:0
- zero: 0 example of being accused of ducking
- His best T20I score of 31 came against him Sri Lankashowing his ability to consolidate innings when needed.
- Against AustraliaAshwin scored 33 runs at 106.45, delivering some crucial runs in key encounters.
- Against South Africahe scored 20 runs at 6.66, contributing to difficult conditions.
- Against The West IndiesAshwin scored 34 runs at 34.00, providing crucial runs at a lower rate.
Contributions to the country:
1. Against West Indies:
- Tests: 608 runs at 50.66 per century.
- ODIs: 135 runs at 33.75.
- T20 Is: 34 runs at 34.00.
- Strong Test and ODI performances, especially in spin-friendly conditions.
2. Against New Zealand:
- Tests: 335 runs at 41.87 per century.
- ODIs: 85 runs at 14.16.
- T20 Is: 10 runs at 10.00.
- Important century in Tests, but limited ODI and T20I innings.
3. Against England:
- Tests: 1086 is running at 32.90 per century.
- ODIs: 128 runs at 14.22.
- T20 Is: 22 running at 11.00.
- Major contributions in Tests and limited impact in limited over formats.
4. Against South Africa:
- Tests: 321 runs at 17.83.
- ODIs: 81 runs at 20.25.
- T20 Is: 20 runs at 6.66.
- Has struggled against South Africa across all formats.
5. Against Sri Lanka:
- Tests: 333 runs at 20.81.
- ODIs: 132 runs at 16.50.
- T20 Is: 46 runs at 31*.
- Consistent utility across formats in sub-country settings.
6. Against Australia:
- Tests: 572 runs at 17.33.
- ODIs: 85 runs at 14.16.
- T20 Is: 33 runs at 106.45.
- Limited influence in limited proportions, but placed in Tests.
7. Against Pakistan:
- ODIs: 45 runs at 11.25.
- T20 Is: 1 run at 100.00.
- He played a minor role in limited episodes.
