How has No.1 Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin fared in the longest format

In the run-up to the World Test Championship Final between India and Australia at The Oval, there was a huge debate over whether ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will make it to the playing eleven or not. Ultimately, it turned out, he did not.

Ashwin is currently ranked the No. 1 Test bowler in the current ICC rankings, above veteran English pacer James Anderson. He is also ranked No.2 in the Test all-rounders rank, below compatriot Ravindra Jadeja.

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The only other 2 Indian bowlers in the rankings list are pacer Jasprit Bumrah, placed 6th, and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja who is ranked 9th.

Ever since making his debut in the sport's longest format back in 2011, the 36-year-old spinner from Chennai has picked up a total of 474 wickets in 92 matches (174 innings). He was named man of the match in his debut match against the West Indies, having picked up 6 wickets in the second innings (3/81 & 6/47).

It is also worth noting that Ashwin is currently India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, just below Anil Kumble, who has bagged a total of 619 wickets in 132 matches (236 innings).

Ashwin has also picked up a total of 32 fifers in his Test career, while his best figures are 7/59, which came against New Zealand in 2016.

The spin maestro was also the highest wicket-taker in the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having picked up a total of 25 wickets against the Aussies. He was also named the 'player of the series' along with Ravindra Jadeja.

Ashwin has also positioned himself as a reliable batter, more so in the past few years. He has scored a total of 3,129 runs in Tests, with an average of 26.97. He has also managed to score 5 centuries and 13 half-centuries.

How the cricketing fraternity reacted

Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar was left aghast over Ashwin's exclusion from an important match. "He's the No.1 ranked bowler. You don't look at the pitch for players like him. You are playing a World Test Championship Final, and you don't pick the number one bowler in Test cricket. This decision from Team India is beyond my understanding."

"I would have picked him in place of Umesh Yadav, who was out of action and looks out of rhythm. There are four left-handed batters in this Australian side, and he has traditionally done well against them. It is shocking that there isn't any off-spinner in this side," he was quoted as saying by the broadcasters.

Similar sentiments were echoed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly. "That's an afterthought and I don't believe in after-thoughts once the toss is done. Every captain is different and Rohit had his own ideas."

"The conditions suited four fast bowlers and India have won Test matches with such an attack. But I would have personally thought twice before keeping a spinner of his quality out of the XI."

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes leaving Ashwin out will be something which India will rue later, citing the mastery he has on getting left-handed batters out.

"As this game goes on, I have got no doubt that there is going to be a turn. Australia have got a lot of left-handers in their batting line-up to which Ashwin would have been perfectly suited for."

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"So far for me, it looks like it was a mistake from them by playing the four-seamers, but we will see how the game pans out," he was quoted as saying by ICC after' the end of day one's play.

Similar views were echoed by his former teammate Matthew Hayden. "I feel that Ravichandran Ashwin is such a key factor, the leading wicket-taker in the Tests cycle is not there. There are a few factors worth pondering on in Team India's perspective," he said.

Ashwin had earlier been made to sit out of playing eleven during India's tour of England in the 2021 and 2022 games. Former Australia pacer Damien Fleming is certain the ace off-spinner should have been named in the playing eleven.

"I thought Ashwin would play and in hindsight, he should have, because I thought Yadav and Thakur just didn't beat build pressure, did they? In good condition for them. They should have played Ashwin," he was quoted as saying by SEN Radio.

(With Agency inputs)