Ravichandran Ashwin is growing stronger and stronger with each passing day. The off-spinner is shattering records after almost every match and is looks well set to break many in his career.
In his short career so far, the Tamil Nadu bowler has already achieved a lot of milestones and he added another feather to his hat when he dismissed New Zealand’s last batsman Trent Boult to help India win the third Test at Indore and win the series by 3-0.
Boult’s wicket was Ashwin’s seventh wicket in the second innings and 13th of the match, giving the offie his sixth ten-wicket haul in Tests. 7 for 59 is now his best in a Test innings while 13 for 140 is his career best figures.
Talking about Ashwin’s latest milestone, the bowler now leads the list of the best strike-rate among the spinners who have taken 100 or more wickets in Tests in the last 100 years.
With a stunning strike rate of 49.4, the Indian off-spinner has left behind the likes of legendary Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
The strike rate for a bowler is calculated the finding the average of balls bowled by a bowler between two wickets which means the Indian spin spearhead dismisses a batsman after every 49.4 balls.
Here is the list of top ten bowlers who have the best strike rate after taking 100 or more wickets in Tests in last 100 years.
| PLAYER | SPAN | MATCHES | STRIKE RATE |
| R Ashwin (IND) | 2011-2016 | 39 | 49.4 |
| SCG MacGill (AUS) | 1998-2008 | 44 | 54 |
| M Muralitharan (SL) | 1992-2010 | 133 | 55 |
| SK Warne (AUS) | 1992-2007 | 145 | 57.4 |
| GP Swann (ENG) | 2008-2013 | 60 | 60.1 |
| R Herath (SL) | 1999-2016 | 73 | 62.1 |
| JC Laker (ENG) | 1948-1959 | 46 | 62.3 |
| NM Lyon (AUS) | 2011-2016 | 57 | 62.3 |
| JH Wardle (ENG) | 1948-1957 | 28 | 64.6 |
Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath and Australia spinner Nathan Lyon are the only other bowlers who have not retired to feature in the top ten of the list.
Ashwin is ranked third in the overall list behind English duo – Johnny Briggs and Colin Blythe. The fact that they played before 1910 is a proof that no bowler in the recent past has been as dominating as Ashwin.
Here is the overall list of top ten bowlers with best strike rates after taking 100 or more wickets.
| PLAYER | SPAN | MATCHES | WICKETS | STRIKE RATES |
| J Briggs (ENG) | 1884-1899 | 33 | 118 | 45.1 |
| C Blythe (ENG) | 1901-1910 | 19 | 100 | 45.4 |
| R Ashwin (INDIA) | 2011-2016 | 39 | 220 | 49.4 |
| R Peel (ENG) | 1884-1896 | 20 | 101 | 51.6 |
| SCG MacGill (AUS) | 1998-2008 | 44 | 208 | 54 |
| M Muralitharan (ICC/SL) | 1992-2010 | 133 | 800 | 55 |
| H Trumble (AUS) | 1890-1904 | 32 | 141 | 57.4 |
| SK Warne (AUS) | 1992-2007 | 145 | 708 | 57.4 |
| GP Swann (ENG) | 2008-2013 | 60 | 255 | 60.1 |
*Stats are updated upto 12th October, 2016