Sportskeeda's Top 50 Indian Test cricketers of all-time (20-11)

#12 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin already holds the most number of Player of the Series awards in Indian history

Almost half-way through his career, Ravichandran Ashwin has already entered into the list of top five Indian Test wicket-takers of all-time.

Even as naysayers may point to the advantage of relying on favourable pitches at home, the off-spinner's record makes for remarkable reading. From just 52 matches, he has picked up as many as 26 five-wicket hauls. He has played 15 series (2 or more matches constitute a series) and pocketed the 'Player of the Series' award on 7 occasions. No Indian player has more such awards. Among all his countrymen with at least 200 scalps, his average of 25.26 is comfortably the best.

To go with his series-defining performances with the ball, Ashwin has also managed to add teeth to the lower-order with his resilient and silken batting.

While skipper Virat Kohli often ran short of platitudes for the Tamil Nadu cricketer, Steve Waugh ventured a lot farther and anointed him as 'the Bradman of bowling'. Nevertheless, the upcoming round of overseas tours outside the subcontinent against strong teams like South Africa, Australia and England will define his legacy.

Career Span: 2011-present

Statistics: *292 wickets from 52 matches at an average of 25.26 and strike-rate of 52.4 with 26 five-wicket hauls and 7 ten-wicket hauls; 2035 runs at an average of 32.82 with 4 centuries and 11 fifties

(*Note: All Statistics are accurate as of 21 October, 2017)