Team India has a rich history of spin bowlers and Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh are two of the biggest match-winners the team has ever produced. Both spinners have been the captain’s strongest weapons and have always stepped up to the plate whenever the team has needed them. In this article, we will compare the two greats and highlight the milestones that Ashwin has already surpassed.
Harbhajan Singh:
Harbhajan Singh was an integral part of Sourav Ganguly’s era as captain and played a pivotal role in India’s success. He ended his career with 417 Test wickets from 103 matches at an average of 32.46. Harbhajan was adjudged as the player of the match six times in his career, with the first being for his performance in the Chennai Test against Australia in 2001, where he took 15 wickets.
Ravichandran Ashwin:
Ravichandran Ashwin recently claimed his 450th Test wicket and is one of the most prolific Indian off-spinners to date. He became the leading wicket-taker among Indian off-spinners after overtaking Harbhajan’s tally and has taken 320 wickets in 52 Tests at an average of 20.88 in home conditions. Ashwin was the player of the match in his maiden Test outing and has received the award nine times so far in his career.
ALSO READ
Ind vs Aus Test: The Unbeatable Home Record- India’s Spin Attack
3 Records Ravichandran Ashwin Broke in India vs Australia Test
Virat Kohli: A Run Machine Against Australia
IPL 2023: SRH’s 3 Risky Investments in Overpriced Players
Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh : Comparing Home Records
Both Harbhajan and Ashwin have been huge threats to negotiate in home conditions, but purely from a statistical point of view, Ashwin is ahead. The subcontinent conditions assist spin bowling and both legends made the most of it to claim wickets and win matches for their team.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh : Comparing Overseas Records
Overseas teams still dread the prospect of facing Indian spinners in subcontinent conditions, and both spinners’ home record trumps their overseas exploits.
Player of the Match Awards:
Harbhajan Singh was adjudged as the player of the match six times in his career, while Ashwin has received the award nine times so far in his career and is the most decorated player among Indian off-spinners when it comes to player-of-the-match awards.
Most Wickets in a Year:
Harbhajan set the record for most wickets by an Indian off-spinner in 2002, with 63 wickets. However, Ashwin toppled that record by a fair margin after taking 72 wickets in 2016, playing a pivotal role in India’s wins over West Indies, New Zealand, and England that year.
Conclusion:
Both Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh are legends in their own right and have been unplayable at times on home turf. While Harbhajan played a pivotal role in Sourav Ganguly’s era as captain, Ashwin has surpassed many of Harbhajan’s milestones and is currently the leading wicket-taker among Indian off-spinners. Both spinners have been the Men in Blue’s biggest asset in home conditions and will always be remembered as two of India’s greatest spin bowlers.