Who was declared “Man of the Series” In India-Australia test series held in February-March 2013?

The correct answer is D) R. Ashwin. India beat Australia 4-0 in the February-March 2013 Test series, and Ashwin was named Man of the Series for his spin bowling, which took the bulk of the Australian wickets on turning pitches.

Why the others are wrong:

• A) Cheteshwara Pujara was India's leading batsman in the series and the obvious candidate for a batting award, which is why he is the most common wrong answer. The award still went to the bowler.
• B) M.S. Dhoni captained India, but captaincy does not decide the award, and he was not the individual selected.
• C) Ravindra Jadeja was an important left-arm spin partner to Ashwin, but he was not the Man of the Series.

The core concept here is the Man of the Series award, given to the player with the strongest overall contribution across the series, not just the top run-scorer or the captain. For Mains, the 2013 series is a useful case study in how spin-friendly home conditions shaped Indian team strategy, which is relevant to questions on sports governance and team selection.

Trap: Aspirants often pick Pujara because he was the most talked-about batsman, and forget that the series award can go to a bowler.