'He was the wrecker-in-chief' - Zaheer Khan picks R Ashwin as his Player of the Series for West Indies-India Tests

India clinched the two-match Test series against West Indies by 1-0 after the fifth day of the second Test  in Trinidad was washed out due to rain. West Indies were 76/2, chasing 365, however, rain had the final say in the game as no play was possible on the final day. 

India had several positives throughout the series as both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were among the runs, while seamer Mohammed Siraj got his first Player of the Match award in Test cricket in the second Test. However, the main man behind India’s series win was Ravichandran Ashwin, according to former India bowler Zaheer Khan.

"He picked up that 10-fer, he was the main wrecker-in-chief, got 15 wickets, got a fifty as well. He had a terrific series. Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma) and Yashasvi (Jaiswal) scored runs, but the main guy, who helped India get a result, was right up with his performance. My Man of the Series would have been Ashwin,” said Zaheer on JioCinema.

Notably, Ashwin had a great game in the first Test as he registered figures of 12/131, picking five-wicket hauls in both the innings. However, his performance was overshadowed by debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal who got Player of the Match for scoring a magnificent 171 (387), as he became the 17^th Indian to score a hundred on Test debut.

Ashwin is the world's number one ranked Test bowler

Ashwin played a crucial knock of 56 and picked up three wickets in the second Test. The off-spinner once again proved his worth in the side after being benched for the World Test Championship final 2023. The 36-year-old is currently the number one ranked bowler in the world with 884 ratings.

Meanwhile, the draw against West Indies could prove costly to India going ahead in the WTC Cycle 2023-25, as the Rohit Sharma-led side were in a strong position to win the series 2-0. After the series, India are currently ranked on the second spot in the WTC points table with a points' percentage of 66.67.