Top 3 batting performances of Ravichandran Ashwin in Test Cricket

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the best All-rounders in Test cricket. The Indian cricketer is a spin bowler who could bat well lower down the order. If required, he could bat as high as number 6 and open the innings too. The right-handed batter is often underappreciated when it comes to his secondary skill. However, there are instances where he has won matches for his side just with his batting.

Given the nature of the batting surfaces in the last 5-6 years across the conditions, his batting needs to be appreciated. The star player has a total of five hundreds in Tests to his name, which is impressive. Four of them came against the West Indies and the other against England. Most of them have come on wickets that aren’t easy to bat on. It is time to look at the best batting performances of Ravichandran Ashwin in the longest format of the game.

113 vs West Indies, Antigua 2016

His 2016 tour of the West Indies was one of the best performances by a player in a Test series. In the first Test of the series in Antigua, the star batter scored 113 runs in the first innings. At the other end, Virat Kohli smashed a double hundred. Together, the duo ensured that India posted 566/8 before the declaration. Ashwin showed his ability to bat away from India.

While he was good in England a couple of years before the tour of the Caribbean Islands, Ashwin was brilliant in St Lucia. He registered his maiden hundred away from home and shined with the ball too. He claimed 7/83 in the second innings and helped India to win the match by an innings and 92 runs. He was also rewarded with the Player of the Match award.

118 vs West Indies, St Lucia 2016

It was the third Test of the same series. This time around, India was in a difficult position in the match. Batting first, India was reduced to 87/4 and further to 126/5. From there, Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha framed a brilliant partnership of 213 runs for the sixth wicket. In the process, both of them got hundreds for themselves.

Ashwin notched up the second ton of his tour. In his stay in the middle, the right-handed batter scored 118 runs in 297 balls which included just 6 fours and a lot of running between the wickets. India scored 353 runs and restricted WI to 225 runs. India scored 217/7 in the second innings and dismissed the home side for 108 runs to win the match. Ashwin got yet another POTM award.

106 vs England, Chennai 2021

This knock of Ashwin would cement his spot as one of the best players of spin recently. It was a rank turner and batting was not easy. Having lost the first Test of the series and the chances of qualifying for the WTC final hanging on a thread, India had a lot of work to do. With the progression of the match, the wicket deteriorated and got increasingly tough to bat on. Only aggression could help the batters.

The hometown boy deployed an aggressive way of batting and attacked the English bowlers. Coming in at 106/6, Ashwin played an aggressive knock. He framed a good partnership with Virat Kohli for the 7th wicket and registered a great ton. He scored 106(148) on a rank turner. It was the best Test knock of Ashwin’s career. India won the match and went on to win the series after being 0-1 down.

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