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Cricket World Player of the Week - Ravichandran Ashwin

by Saksham Mishra & Cricket World Tuesday 12 January 2021

For his admirable match-saving 258-ball partnership with Hanuma Vihari over two and a half hours during which he wore umpteen balls on the body and battled a back spasm, Ravichandran Ashwin is the Cricket World Player of the Week.

When Ashwin arrived in Australia, he had a bowling average of 42.19 in the country. He averages worse only in South Africa.

However, it was not going to be more of the same for the crafty off spinner this time around. He had chalked out sure-shot plans, which even neutralized Steve Smith in the first half of the series.

Despite a featherbed in Sydney, Ashwin is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets at an average of 28.83 and has been the most successful man for India with the ball in hand.

Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin have negotiated over 200 balls between them ??

A display of real grit ????#AUSvIND ?? https://t.co/jOSQoYOuSC pic.twitter.com/cCc1qMycHW
— ICC (@ICC) January 11, 2021

Ashwin's batting form has declined bigtime over the last four years. The best that he has averaged in this period is 20.40 in 2018. In 2020, he averaged a terrible 6.60.

For him to be in such horrible form with the bat and then walk out to bat with a tweaked back, which even prevented him to bend, wear numerous deliveries on the body and still be there at the end, unbeaten on 39, to see India to memorable draw after facing 128 balls in a stand with Hanuma Vihari which lasted for two and a half hours, Ravichandran Ashwin deserves to be the Cricket World Player of the Week.