As the Brisbane Test of the BGT 2024/25 ended in a draw, Ravichandran Ashwin decided to call time on his illustrious international cricket career.
One of the greatest Indian spinners has now retired from all forms of international cricket, leaving a large legacy behind.
A street-smart cricketer, Ashwin debuted for India in 2010 and went on to don the Indian jersey for 14 long years. In this memorable ride, he emerged as an undisputable match-winner for India, especially at home, where he spun his web around visiting batters.
He just didn’t stop there and logged some impressive records in cricket history that depict his impact for India. On that note, we’ll look at Ravichandran Ashwin’s remarkable records in international cricket.
Second-Most Wickets for India
After Kumble’s retirement, India were looking for an ace spinner to fill the void. And the search ended with Ashwin, who went on to take the second-most wickets for India across formats.
He bowed out with 765 wickets in 287 matches, sitting behind Kumble’s tally of 953 scalps. Out of those, 537 wickets alone came with the red ball, placing him among the nine bowlers with 500 Test wickets. The office picked up 156 wickets in ODIs and added 72 scalps in T20Is.
Most Test Five-Wicket and Ten-Wicket Hauls for India
Along with his vast wicket tally in Test cricket, Ashwin also added the most five-wicket and ten-wicket hauls to his kitty. He left behind Kumble in five-wicket hauls, taking 37 five-fors, and levelled with him by racking up 8 ten-wicket match hauls.
His Test fifers are the joint second-most alongside the great Shane Warne, while he is joint fourth in terms of ten-fors.
Most Test Wickets as a Bowling Pair for India
Ashwin formed a lethal partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, complimenting each other well with the red ball. Both picked up 587 wickets while bowling together in 58 Tests, making them the most successful Test bowling pair for India.
Most Left-handed Batters Dismissed in Tests
Thanks to his off-spin bowling skills, the left-hand batters were his bread-and-butter dismissals in Tests. He dismissed 268 left-handers in Tests, which is the most by any bowler.
Fastest to 250, 300, and 350 Test Wickets
Ashwin remains the fastest bowler to reach 250, 300, and 350 wickets in Test format. He raced to the 250th scalp in his 45th Test after his debut, dismissing Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim to achieve the feat in 2017.
Just nine matches later, Ashwin claimed his 300th victim, dismissing Lahiru Gamage to steal another top spot from Dennis Lillee. Two years and 11 Tests later, he registered his 350th Test dismissal by bowling out South Africa’s Theunis de Bruyn to level with Muthiah Muralidaran’s record of 66 Tests.
Second-fastest to 400, 450, and 500 Test Wickets
After levelling with Muralidaran for 350 scalps, the Chennai spinner trailed the Lankan great for 400, 450, and 500 Test wickets. Ashwin reached those milestones in 77, 89, and 98 matches, respectively. Jofra Archer, Alex Carey, and Zak Crawley were his milestone victims.
Fourth-Most Bowled Dismissals in Tests
Out of his 537 Test wickets, 109 (20.29 percent) of them came through bowled dismissals. This puts him in the fourth spot in the list of the most bowled dismissals in Tests after Muralidaran, James Anderson, and Warne.
100 Matches in Tests and ODIs for India
Ashwin is among the 12 Indian players who have featured in 100 Tests and as many ODIs for India. He earned 106 and 116 caps in Tests and ODIs, respectively.
100-plus Test Wickets vs Australia and England
Ashwin is the only Indian spinner to take 100-plus each against two opponents in Test cricket. Australia and England were his favourite opponents, dismissing more than 100 victims of both teams.
The right-arm off-spinner faced Australia in 23 encounters and grabbed 115 wickets at an average of 28.58. He played 24 matches against England, taking 114 scalps at 27.72.
3000 Runs, 300 Wickets, and 5 Centuries in Tests
Apart from being an astute off-spinner, Ashwin was also good with the bat, and his six Test hundreds are proof of it. His brilliant all-round ability puts him among the five all-rounders who have 3000 runs, 300 wickets, and five centuries to their name in Tests.
Along with his wickets tally, Ashwin amassed 3503 runs at an average of 25.75, including five tons. Four of those centuries came against the West Indies, while he reached the other two triple-digit figures once each against Bangladesh and England in Chennai.
Hundred and Five-Wicket Haul in the same Test Match
Four out of six times when Ashwin smashed a hundred, he grabbed a five-wicket haul in the same match. That places him after Ian Botham to record the second-most instances (5) of scoring a hundred and taking a five-for in the same Test match.
The spin-bowling all-rounder scored two centuries against the West Indies, along with picking up fifers in 2011 and 2016. Ashwin repeated the feats against England in 2021 and Bangladesh in 2024 once each.
Most Player of the Series Awards in Tests
Ashwin’s contribution to India’s dominance can be gauged from his 11 Player of the Series (POTS) awards. He won the joint-most POTS awards in Tests, levelling with Muralidaran for the top spot.
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