Ravichandran Ashwin might have looked a bit off-colour in the ongoing series against Australia but that has not stopped the India spin spearhead from adding another feather to his already illustrious cap. The 30-year old off-spinner has now surpassed South Africa quick Dale Steyn as the bowler with the most number of wickets in a season.
The Tamil Nadu ace, who was just a wicket short off the mark before the start of the match, achieved the feat by taking the prized scalp of in-form Australia skipper Steve Smith. Ashwin now has 79 wickets in this season compared to Steyn’s 78 that he took during the 2007-08 season. The Indian bowler will have a chance to add more wickets to his tally as the match is still not finished.
Ashwin’s 79 wickets have come in 13 Tests at an average of 25.64. The ICC player of the Year began the season on a fine note by taking 27 wickets in 3 Tests against New Zealand. In the next series against England, the right-arm pacer once again looked in his elements and finished the five-match series as its highest wicket-taker with 28 wickets. He was also the joint highest wicket-taker in the one-off Test against Bangladesh with 6 scalps to his name. During the match against Bangladesh, he also broke Dennis Lillee’s record of fastest to 250 Test wickets.
He has not looked at his devastating best in the ongoing series but has still played an important part. His six-wicket haul in the second Test helped India to draw level in the series and he is also the third highest wicket-taker in the series with 18 wickets.
Here is a list of top 10 bowlers with most wickets in a season:
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5 Wicket Haul | 10 Wicket Haul | Season |
| R Ashwin (INDIA) | 13 | 79 | 25.64 | 7 | 3 | 2016/17 |
| Dale Steyn (SA) | 12 | 78 | 16.24 | 6 | 2 | 2007/08 |
| Ravindra Jadeja (INDIA) | 13 | 67 | 23.41 | 4 | 1 | 2016/17 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 12 | 66 | 20.36 | 6 | 1 | 1998/99 |
| Anil Kumble (INDIA) | 11 | 64 | 28.34 | 5 | 2 | 2004/05 |
| Kapil Dev (INDIA) | 13 | 63 | 20.25 | 5 | 1 | 1979/80 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 7 | 62 | 15.43 | 5 | 3 | 2001/02 |
| Shane Warne (AUS) | 12 | 62 | 26.16 | 4 | 0 | 2005/06 |
| Shane Warne (AUS) | 12 | 60 | 24.31 | 4 | 1 | 1994/95 |
| Mitchell Johnson (AUS) | 12 | 60 | 25.25 | 2 | 1 | 2008/09 |