Ravichandran Ashwin’s ascent to the top rung of Test bowlers is testament to the vast improvement in his bowling in 2015, a year which he began in tough terrain for spin bowlers — Australia’s true and sporting pitches. The lessons he learned and the variations he picked up helped him become a far more complete bowler. The fact that no Indian bowler has topped these computerised rankings since Bishen Bedi in 1973 points to the enormity of Ashwin’s achievement. He is a thinking cricketer who has also proved resolute with the bat, as reflected in his keeping the top Test all-rounder’s spot a third year in a row. Harbhajan Singh was India’s best off-spinner since Prasanna and Venkataraghavan were part of the famed quartet of spinners who wove a web of mystery. Ashwin promises to take the art to the next level with his finger-flicked “carrom” ball as well as an experimental leg break.
Test skipper Virat Kohli was adjudged BCCI’s Cricketer of the Year for leading Team India to a rare away series win in Sri Lanka and downing the world’s top ranked Tests die South Africa 3-0. In typical Indian style even the Delhi lad’s coronation became a political issue with the AAP using an interview he gave to slam finance minister and former president of DDCA in their ongoing war. It is a tribute to the professionalism of our cricketers that they have played through a very contentious year of cricket administration without letting controversies cloud their performance.
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