Ravichandran Ashwin: The Unsung Hero of Indian Cricket

The day after I began this article, Ashwin's remarkable performance buzzed throughout the cricketing world, clinching his 35th five-wicket haul and securing India's series win against England, extending their 12-year unbeaten streak at home. It seemed almost poetic, as if Ashwin himself had caught wind of the title I had in mind and decided, "I'll show you Unsung." Now, let's delve into the narrative of the unsung hero in Indian cricket – Ravichandran Ashwin. In a team filled with stars like Kohli, Sharma, Pujara, and Jadeja, Ashwin quietly shoulders monumental responsibilities, steering India's dominance on home turf.

Why crown Ashwin amidst the plethora of stars? It's always been Ashwin driving India's success at home. Let's unravel the layers veiling Ashwin's stature as the cornerstone of Indian cricket's triumphs.

In the realm of Test Cricket, an elite group of bowlers has snagged at least 400 wickets each. Out of these 17 greats, 7 are spinners, while the rest 10 are pacers. I've got this table that lays out all their stats when they're playing at home. How do they compare with each other?

Strike rate in cricket signifies the pace of wicket-taking prowess, calculated by wickets/balls bowled. For instance, claiming 3 wickets across 120 deliveries yields a striking rate of 40. Out of the 17 bowlers up there, Ashwin has the 2nd best strike rate at 46.6, behind 40.2 by Dale Steyn. At home, Ravichandran Ashwin picks up a wicket every 8 overs he bowls. Let that sink in for a moment. Ashwin's average of 21.49 comes 5th on that list, and he has now picked up the 5th most wickets at home, in the 11th fastest time. If you were to simply find out how many wickets a bowler took per over (total wickets/total overs), Ashwin comes 2nd on that list behind Dale Steyn. The biggest difference between Steyn and Ashwin? Steyn took 90 fewer wickets compared to him. 

So we just proved that Ashwin takes wickets at the 2nd fastest rate of anyone with over 400 wickets. That begs the question, how many wickets has he averaged per game over his career?

So, here's an intriguing fact: Ashwin ranks second in his category, right behind Muttiah Muralitharan. The graph clearly shows that, on average, Ashwin has contributed to at least 30% of the team's wickets in every match he's played. His performances have been instrumental in India's dominance over visiting teams, especially at home. Another measure of his impact is the Man of the Match/Series awards. While it's based on voting, these awards reflect the consensus among former players on the game's standout performer. Ashwin has bagged 9 Man of the Match awards, with 7 earned at home, along with 10 Man of the Series awards, 8 of which were won in home series. Throughout his career, he's participated in 17 home series (excluding 1 test series). This means that nearly 50% of the time, he's been recognized as the best player in 2-5 consecutive test matches. Despite his consistent excellence, Ashwin still faces disrespect and criticism.

Here's a graph that compares the % of the team wickets taken by that bowler.

The high green bar on the chart is how many total wickets the team took when this player played. The small bar underneath is the number of wickets taken by that particular player, and the number is the % of Individual wickets/Team wickets. This chart looks unfavorably upon Ashwin, as he ranks 5th on this chart. What it doesn't take into account is the strength of the surrounding bowlers, which is true for many of the lower numbers on this graph. 

Anil Kumble spent the majority of his career as the best bowling option on their team, by a mile. Kumble only had 1 bowler who played alongside him that crossed 100 wickets, Harbhajan Singh (also on this list). The next member on that list? Javagal Srinath with 94. Similar story with Muralitharan, who took a mind-boggling 40% of his team's wickets. The 2nd highest wicket-taker when he played was Chaminda Vaas with 165. The third was Sanath Jayasuriya with 58. Richard Hadlee was in a similar circumstance during his heyday, and so was Rangana Herath when he was at the peak of his powers.

Each bowler on this list has been complemented by another exceptional talent: Wasim Akram paired with Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose with Courtney Walsh, Shane Warne with Glenn McGrath, and Stuart Broad with James Anderson. Likewise, Dale Steyn and Nathan Lyon benefited from strong bowling units, as has Ashwin with Jadeja and now supported by the formidable pace trio of Siraj, Bumrah, and Shami.

In assessing his performance, he consistently ranks in the top 5 across all metrics, a feat unmatched by his peers. With an unbroken streak of home series victories spanning a decade, he stands alone. While some may argue for Virat Kohli, I see him as 1B to Ashwin's 1A. Ashwin's dominance is evident in his 354 wickets from 59 games, boasting a staggering strike rate of 46.6. These numbers, amidst formidable competition, underscore his unparalleled skill and mastery of his craft.

Ashwin's knack for bewildering any opponent on any given day, coupled with his role as the linchpin of a bowling attack that consistently clinched victories, firmly establishes him as an unsung hero of Indian cricket. He often doesn't receive the recognition he truly deserves, especially when compared to the towering reputations of players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Ashwin's preference to stay away from the limelight may be a reason why fans don't shower him with the love and respect he's earned through his contributions to Indian cricket. In my eyes, Ravi Ashwin, you hold the title of the second-greatest spinner of all time in Test cricket, and that's an accolade no one can take away from you.

All data from 25th Feb. Ashwin's bowling in the 2nd innings vs England is on the table. All the arguments are only for wickets taken at home.