After a memorable Test both with bat and ball Ravichandran Ashwin has jumped to number one spot in ICC’s allrounders rankings. Ashwin has now aggregated 740 runs and taken 97 wickets in 17 Tests, which is quite exemplary.
It will be interesting to see how Ashwin stands vis-à-vis other greats after exactly 17 Tests. The following table has the complete details. Gary Sobers, Ian Botham and Chris Cairns scored more runs than Ashwin, however Ashwin took more wickets than all three. In fact Ashwin’s wicket-tally is the highest among the lot. On the batting front, Only Sobers had a higher average than Ashwin after 17 Tests.
Ashwin is also the only one with two centuries and two ten-wicket match hauls.
Allrounders after first 17 Tests
Player
|
For
|
Runs
|
Avg
|
100s
|
Wkts
|
Avg
|
5WI
|
10WM
|
R Ashwin
|
Ind
|
740
|
41.41
|
2
|
97
|
28.07
|
9
|
2
|
Ian Botham
|
Eng
|
791
|
35.95
|
3
|
87
|
18.69
|
8
|
1
|
Imran Khan
|
Pak
|
544
|
21.76
|
0
|
70
|
33.33
|
4
|
1
|
Richard Hadlee
|
NZ
|
617
|
22.85
|
0
|
61
|
35.59
|
2
|
1
|
Kapil Dev
|
Ind
|
698
|
34.90
|
1
|
58
|
33.36
|
2
|
0
|
Shaun Pollock
|
SA
|
605
|
30.25
|
0
|
58
|
23.40
|
3
|
0
|
Wasim Akram
|
Pak
|
204
|
13.60
|
0
|
53
|
26.83
|
4
|
1
|
Chris Cairns
|
NZ
|
772
|
27.57
|
1
|
53
|
36.28
|
2
|
0
|
Andrew Flintoff
|
Eng
|
543
|
20.11
|
1
|
26
|
40.62
|
0
|
0
|
Jacques Kallis
|
SA
|
741
|
29.64
|
2
|
22
|
29.86
|
0
|
0
|
Gary Sobers
|
WI
|
1221
|
48.84
|
1
|
21
|
42.90
|
0
|
0
|
Ashwin still has a long way to go to establish him among game’s greatest allrounders. For this he needs to perform against South Africa, England and Australia in their own den. Ashwin’s next target is the allround double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. Ian Botham currently holds the record of being the quickest to complete this double, taking only 21 Tests. Can Ashwin beat him?
