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Here’s a look at three possible replacements for legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian Test team after he announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, December 18.
Washington Sundar (left) and Kuldeep Yadav will be among the favourites to replace R. Ashwin in the Indian Test team. (Picture Credit: AFP, PTI)
Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, December 18. Since making his international debut for Team India against Sri Lanka in Harare on June 5, 2010, during an ODI match, Ashwin played a total of 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is and picked up 537, 156, and 72 wickets, respectively. In addition to his bowling, Ashwin won many matches for India across formats with his batting as well and finished his career with 3503, 707, and 184 runs in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, respectively. Ashwin ended his more than 14-year-long international career with 765 wickets, which is the second most for India.
The cricketer from Chennai was one of India’s biggest match winners, and Team India will deeply miss his presence, especially in the five-day format of the game. His Test record in India was extraordinary. In 65 matches played in front of home fans, Ashwin dismissed 383 batters. It will be very difficult for any player to come even close to Ashwin’s records, let alone break them.
But now since Ashwin has retired, here’s a look at three spinners who can replace him in India’s Test team:
Washington Sundar: Like Ashwin, Washington Sundar is also an off-spinner, and he also comes from Tamil Nadu. Sundar made his Test debut for India as Ashwin’s replacement in 2021 against Australia during the Brisbane Test, which was played against Australia from January 15-19. The 25-year-old spinner from Chennai has played seven Tests so far and has 387 runs and 24 wickets to his name. Sundar was preferred over Ashwin and Jadeja in India’s playing XI for the first Test of the ongoing five-match series against Australia in Perth, and going forward he is expected to be India’s first-choice off-spinner in Test cricket. Like Ashwin, who finished his career with six Test centuries, Sundar is also capable of making match-winning contributions with the bat.
Kuldeep Yadav: Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut for India in Dharamsala against Australia on March 25, 2017, and got rid of four opposition batters in the first innings. Despite making a memorable debut in Test cricket and being a regular member of India’s white-ball teams, Kuldeep has only managed to play 13 Tests for India in the last seven years. The major reason for Kuldeep’s absence from the Test side was the red-hot form of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but now after Ashwin’s retirement, Kuldeep, who has 56 Test wickets to his name, will expect to get more chances to play Tests, especially in India, where Indian team management often includes three spinners in the playing XI.
Axar Patel: Since making his Test debut against England in Chennai on February 13, 2021, Axar Patel has played 14 matches for India, in which he has picked up 55 wickets and scored 646 runs. Like Ashwin and Jadeja, Axar is also a quality spin-bowling all-rounder, who will now fancy his chances of getting a place in the Indian Test team as Ashwin’s replacement.
Apart from the above-mentioned three players, Tamil Nadu spinner R Sai Kishore and Mumbai’s Tanush Kotian could also get a chance to be part of India’s Test side in the future.