Top 7 wicket-taking spinners since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan

#2 Ravichandran Ashwin – 269 wickets

Ashwin is the only bowler who can realistically come close to Murali’s feat

Since his Test debut against the West Indies in November 2011, Ravichandran Ashwin has been India’s most successful bowler and has played a pivotal role in India’s ascension to the top of the Test rankings. His recent exploits in the ongoing Test series against Australia saw him break into the top 5 Indian wicket-tackers.

While many have argued that he wouldn’t be as successful as he is if the pitches were less spin-friendly, the matter of fact is, Ashwin is one of the most skilful spinners in world cricket at the moment. With a host of variations up his sleeve, he has proved time and again how vital he is to the Indian team’s progression in Test cricket.

In just 47 Test matches, the 30-year-old has picked up 269 wickets at an incredible average of 24.79. Clearly, the numbers speak for themselves and if there is one bowler who can realistically come close to Murali’s feat then it is Ashwin.