Top 5 Test wicket-takers in 2017

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin - 56 wickets

No bowler sent down more overs than Ashwin's tally of 554 overs in the calendar year

Unlike in last year when he topped the bowling charts, Ravichandran Ashwin had to settle for the position of leading wicket-taker among Indian bowlers. While the verve from 2016 went slightly missing on certain occasions, his tactical nous and subtle variations remained intact. From 11 Tests in the calendar year, the wily off-spinner scalped 56 wickets at an average of 27.58 and strike-rate of 59.3. Surprisingly, he managed to pick only a couple of five-wicket hauls in this time period.

When India were defending just 188 runs in the fourth-innings of the Bengaluru Test, Ashwin made full use of the rapidly deteriorating surface to shred Australia's batting lineup. His 6/41 propelled the hosts to a memorable 75-run victory. The other five-wicket haul came against Sri Lanka in Colombo (SSC). With India set to embark on a slew of challenging tours, 2018 could potentially form a very important year in Ashwin's career.