Here's Why Ravichandran Ashwin Is Virat Kohli's Most Valuable Test Player
Ravichandran Ashwin has 24 wickets in this series and over 500 runs with the bat this year.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli dominated the show winning the man of the match award for his outstanding knock of 235 runs as India takes an unassailable 3-0 lead against England after winning the fourth Test in Mumbai. Mere good batting cannot win you matches and one has to bowl out the opposition twice, hence Kohli¡¯s effort was only a job half done. There was another player whose contribution was no less that Kohli¡¯s, someone who picked up 12 wickets in the game ¨C Ravichandran Ashwin.
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Ashwin seems to enjoy the same status in the current team as the legendary Anil Kumble when he played for India between 1990 and 2008. Kumble, who is now coaching the Indian side, bamboozled the best sides in the world on Indian pitches during his stint picking up 619 wickets. After his 12 wicket haul, Ashwin has scalped 71 wickets in 11 matches played this year. His achievement towers above any other contemporary bowler when one compares Sri Lankan Rangana Herath¡¯s number two position with 54 wickets in eight tests for the year.
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Ashwin Joins Elite List Of Test All-Rounders
The series! Ravichandran Ashwin takes another 5-wicket haul as India win the 4th Test by an innings and 36 runs #IndvEng pic.twitter.com/1YoDLg4NNA
¡ª ICC (@ICC) December 12, 2016
Last year, the 30-year-old had taken 62 wickets in nine matches. His 71 wickets this year are at number three in terms of wickets taken by any Indian bowler in a year behind Anil Kumble (74) in 2004 and Kapil Dev who picked up 74 and 75 wickets in 1979 and 1983 respectively. With another test match to go this month and going by his current form, Ashwin has a good chance to move ahead of two of India¡¯s greatest bowlers.
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What makes Ashwin stand tall is his valuable contribution with the bat which has fetched him 545 runs including two centuries and three half-centuries in 2016. Him being the only player to score over 500 runs and take over 50 wickets this year underscores the utility of Ashwin as a vital cog in the wheel. When one looks at the top performers resulting in India¡¯s unbeaten run in 17 test matches on the trot, the honours have to be shared between captain Kohli and Ashwin.
