Ashwin's most dominant spells in Test cricket

• Ravichandran Ashwin's career is defined by legendary Test spells
• He achieved a career-best 13 wickets for 140 runs in Indore in 2016
• His dominance includes match hauls of 12 wickets in Chennai and Nagpur

For over a decade, Ravichandran Ashwin has been India’s master of spin and a true match-winner. His genius lies not just in the wickets, but in his ability to dominate games. Here are some of his most unforgettable spells in Test cricket.

A Dream Debut in Delhi

Announcing your arrival on the Test stage is one thing; owning it is another. In November 2011, Ashwin did the latter against the West Indies in Delhi. On a pitch that wasn't offering prodigious turn, he demonstrated the patience and guile that would become his trademark. After a solid 3/81 in the first innings, he truly came alive in the second. Ashwin dismantled the visitors with figures of 6/47, bamboozling them with his variations in flight and pace. His match haul of nine wickets earned him the Player of the Match award, making him only the third Indian to achieve the feat on debut. It was the perfect start to a career that would see him become one of the world's most feared spinners.

Home Ground Heroics in Chennai

Playing a Test in your hometown is special. Dominating a formidable Australian side there is the stuff of dreams. In February 2013, Ashwin lived that dream at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Against an Australian lineup featuring powerful hitters, he was simply unplayable. He claimed an outstanding 7/103 in the first innings to keep the visitors in check. After a monumental double-century from captain MS Dhoni gave India a commanding lead, Ashwin returned to finish the job. He took another five-wicket haul, ending with 5/95 in the second innings for a match total of 12 for 198. The performance sealed a memorable eight-wicket victory for India and was a clear statement of his growing stature as the team's premier spinner.

Spinning a Web in Nagpur

The 2015 series against South Africa was played on surfaces that fiercely assisted spinners, but it still required immense skill to exploit them. In the third Test at Nagpur, Ashwin was at his surgical best, sealing the series for India and ending South Africa's nine-year unbeaten run in away series. On a dusty, deteriorating pitch, Ashwin was the architect of South Africa's demise. He followed his first-innings figures of 5/32 with a mesmerising 7/66 in the second. His match haul of 12 for 98 was a masterclass in control and variation, as he ran through a world-class batting order that had no answers. The win, achieved in just three days, cemented India's dominance at home and highlighted Ashwin's role as its chief enforcer.

Career-Best Demolition of New Zealand

By 2016, Ashwin was at the peak of his powers, and his performance against New Zealand in Indore was a perfect illustration of his dominance. In the final Test of the series, he produced his careerest figures in both an innings and a match. After taking 6/81 in the first innings to help enforce the followon, he was even more lethal the second time around. He spun a web around the Kiwis, claiming a magnificent 7/59 to skittle them for just 153. His total of 13 wickets for 140 runs sealed a 3rd series whitewash for India. This spell was the culmination of a series where he took an incredible 27 wickets, earning him both the Man of the Match and Player of the Series awards.