Poor overseas record

R Ashwin has always been criticized for his poor away record outside the home conditions. Out of the 333 Test wickets to his name, 102 wickets have come outside India with 6 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten wicket haul.

However, his average of 31.78 and strike rate of 62.12 is strikingly poor when compared to his home average of 22.67 and a strike rate of 48.96, where he has picked 231 wickets.

Ashwin’s record becomes ever poorer when you consider his record in Australia, England, and South Africa (he is yet to play a Test in New Zealand). In 15 Tests, he has picked 42 wickets at an average of 46.02 and a strike rate of 90.47. When you compare this to his stats in India and Sri Lanka, where he has 269 wickets in 48 Tests with an average of 22.51 and strike rate of 47.85; the difference is strikingly visible.

Ashwin is a very good off-spinner and may be one of the best that India has produced, even breaking Dennis Lillie’s record of fastest to 300 wickets in Tests; but this record of his outside India and Indian subcontinent will always put an asterisk against his greatness when he will be done with his career.

This record of his alone speaks enough against his inclusion for the Australia Test series, where last time too he played three Tests and picked 12 wickets at an average of 44.66 and SR of 85.3.