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Is Ashwin an ATG spinner / player?

OverratedSanity

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Tbf, it's not as if the none Asian spinners are winning them many tests in Asia either.

Probably because Asian spinners like Jadeja and Ashwin and Murali are probably as unplayable in their home conditions as Philander was in RSA. Nevertheless, you'll hardly see a spinner rip through decent batting lineup outside of Asia, the way Steyn ripped through India years ago, or Donald and co did to India in 2002, or Gillespie and co to India in 2004. Fact is, none of Walsh, Hadlee, Ambrose, Donald, Pollock, McGrath, Marshall, Steyn whomever, have bad records in Asia, compared to "most" spinners. Warne and to an extent Murali would be the only recent exceptions, hence why they're held in such high esteem.
You're right, and it's pretty much undisputable fact that ATG pacers have a kind of all conditions match winning ability that most spinners can't imagine doing.

However, I do have to point out to @subshakerz that the thing about Ashwin's lack of 5fers in SENA conditions recently when everyone acknowledges he's bowled well seems a kind of silly thing to hold against him? McGrath has a grand total of 1 5fer in Asia, it'd be ridiculous to hold that against him. And no I'm not saying Ashwin has been as good overseas as McGrath was, but it seems like an arbitrary metric? "Match-winning spell" seems pretty vague too. Imo, Ashwin was arguably our best bowler in the MCG win. Took key top order wickets (especially Labu and Smith) and considering how people don't value tailend wickets here would people suddenly call this a match winning spell if he'd wiped out the tail and got 6fer? Meh. Atleast be a little consistent.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I was exaggerating to make a point, guys. Of course I think Imran is an ATG even as a bowler. :)

And I am pretty sure I have mentioned it elsewhere here before. It was just such a pointlessly stupid post that I was responding to. So I repllied in kind.
 

h_hurricane

International Vice-Captain
I think we all can agree now that Ashwin is an ATG.

A cool Ashwin stat : Only cricketer with 30 five wicket hauls and 5 test hundreds (this stat is a bit biased towards bowling allrounders admittedly).
No spinner(apart from Jadeja of course) in history has combined destructive home bowling and quality lower order batting as well as him.
 

_00_deathscar

International Regular
Tbf, it's not as if the none Asian spinners are winning them many tests in Asia either.

Probably because Asian spinners like Jadeja and Ashwin and Murali are probably as unplayable in their home conditions as Philander was in RSA. Nevertheless, you'll hardly see a spinner rip through decent batting lineup outside of Asia, the way Steyn ripped through India years ago, or Donald and co did to India in 2002, or Gillespie and co to India in 2004. Fact is, none of Walsh, Hadlee, Ambrose, Donald, Pollock, McGrath, Marshall, Steyn whomever, have bad records in Asia, compared to "most" spinners. Warne and to an extent Murali would be the only recent exceptions, hence why they're held in such high esteem.
Isn’t there an argument that they just played in really good teams overall? Jadeja and Ashwin have much more improved records overseas too, both as they matured and also as the team overall got better in competing outside Asia.

I mean it’s not like you’re listing decent bowlers from **** teams…
 

Migara

International Coach
I think we all can agree now that Ashwin is an ATG.

A cool Ashwin stat : Only cricketer with 30 five wicket hauls and 5 test hundreds (this stat is a bit biased towards bowling allrounders admittedly).
No spinner(apart from Jadeja of course) in history has combined destructive home bowling and quality lower order batting as well as him.
Shakib asks to be noticed. Averages 40 with the bat at home and 31 with the ball. 13 five fors and 2 centuries.
 

Daemon

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Shakib asks to be noticed. Averages 40 with the bat at home and 31 with the ball. 13 five fors and 2 centuries.
Batted 7 against Pakistan for no reason this game despite being their best batsman. Man dgaf.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
You're right, and it's pretty much undisputable fact that ATG pacers have a kind of all conditions match winning ability that most spinners can't imagine doing.

However, I do have to point out to @subshakerz that the thing about Ashwin's lack of 5fers in SENA conditions recently when everyone acknowledges he's bowled well seems a kind of silly thing to hold against him? McGrath has a grand total of 1 5fer in Asia, it'd be ridiculous to hold that against him. And no I'm not saying Ashwin has been as good overseas as McGrath was, but it seems like an arbitrary metric? "Match-winning spell" seems pretty vague too. Imo, Ashwin was arguably our best bowler in the MCG win. Took key top order wickets (especially Labu and Smith) and considering how people don't value tailend wickets here would people suddenly call this a match winning spell if he'd wiped out the tail and got 6fer? Meh. Atleast be a little consistent.
A few points:

- It's not Ashwin's lack of fifers alone in SENA that is held against him, it is that it is an indication of lack of impact in these countries, along with poor average and other metrics. You would expect any worldclass bowler to have gone through a batting order at least once in 20 tests he has played here, he is the same guy who took 24 fifers in 49 tests at home. Its not that he hasnt achieved a certain number of fifers in SENA, its the complete absence that is odd. Of course, if he had excellent averages in all these countries it wouldnt be as big an issue.

- Fifers do not equal matchwinning performances, but they often turn out to be such. Matchwinning performances by bowlers either set up or seal victories in tests. Most such performances are not hard to spot at all. For a good spinner in SENA, the most you can expect is to occasionally produce such a performance on a 4th or 5th day wicket which Ashwin hasnt done while even lesser bowlers like Yasir Shah, Lyon and Herath have. Examples below:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-vs-sri-lanka-2nd-test-514033/full-scorecard

- I admit Ashwin was a much improved bowler in Australia but I am not sure I would call him matchwinning yet though he made much more impact than previously. In the example you gave, if he took a 6fer as well as running through the top and lower order, yes that would be a better performance since he would show he can run through the lineup without much support and tailenders still need to be removed.

- Ashwin seems to be on a growth trajectory. He is more accurate away and dips the ball better now than I saw in 2018. I fully expected him to win a game this summer in England and put this issue to rest but Kohli dropped him unexpectedly.

- This may seem like nitpicking but we are talking about ATG status, which to me is the highest echelon of cricketers. You cant have gaps this big in your record.
 
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Shri

Mr. Glass
- I admit Ashwin was a much improved bowler in Australia but I am not sure I would call him matchwinning yet though he made much more impact than previously. In the example you gave, if he took a 6fer as well as running through the top and lower order, yes that would be a better performance since he would show he can run through the lineup without much support and tailenders still need to be removed.
So you want the other bowlers in his side that he's playing with to be **** so he can get an imaginary fifer? This line of thought is ****ing stupid tstl.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
So you want the other bowlers in his side that he's playing with to be **** so he can get an imaginary fifer? This line of thought is ****ing stupid tstl.
You act as if bowlers who played in all-star lineups like McGrath, Warne or Marshall never ran through sides on their own.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
That’s cos the batsmen in those places are ****.
My point is that most ATGs have some gaping holes.

There are very few that don’t.
Not a hole that big. We wouldnt call a batsman an ATG if he played 20 tests in India/Pak/Sri Lanka, averaged 30 and never scored a ton.
 

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