There is plenty of hurrah for star Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, as the 29-year-old finishes the calendar year 2015 at the No 1 spot in the ICC Rankings for the Test Bowlers.
Not only that, Team India are also on cloud nine as Test skipper Virat Kohli was announced as the BCCI Cricketer of the Year on the New Year's eve.
Ashwin enjoyed a terrific year in the national team jersey as he bagged 12 wickets in the fourth and the final Test match for India against South Africa in the Freedom Series in Nagpur. He also won the Man of the Series in the four-match Test Series.
A sensational run from the Chennai man saw him start the year in the 15th position in the ICC rankings for Test Bowlers, but he ends the year on the highest level possible. Ashwin took a total of 62 wickets for Team India in nine Test matches this year.
"Finishing the year as the number-one ranked Test bowler is like an icing on the cake that I have managed to build over the past last 12 months. I always wanted to get there one day," Ashwin was quoted by the official website of ICC. "There can't be a better way to finish the 2015."
The cricketer, who will be playing for Team Pune in the IPL 2016, also became the first Indian bowler since the legendary Bishen Singh Bedi to achieve the feat of finishing the year as the No 1 in Test Bowling.
Bedi, who played a total of 67 Test matches and took 266 wickets for India between 1966 and 1979, was the first Indian bowler to achieve the feat in 1973.
"Replicating what Mr Bedi did is something I am very proud of. The former India captain was a master at his craft and I am very humbled to follow in his footsteps," Ashwin continued.
"I would like to thank my Test captain Virat Kohli, who has been a big influence, and, of course, the team management, my team-mates and the BCCI for their continued support."
Meanwhile, Australia captain Steve Smith ends the year as the No 1 in ICC rankings for Test Batsmen. He was also named the ICC Test cricketer of the year just a few days back.
