Ravichandran Ashwin put in yet another brilliant performance for Nottinghamshire in the ongoing County Championship by claiming a nine-wicket match haul against Kent. The Indian off-spinner added to his four wickets in the first innings with a five-for in the second on Thursday at Trentbridge, Nottingham.
Nottinghamshire were in deep trouble in the match after being bowled out for just 124 in their first innings, in reply to Kent’s total of 304. Ashwin had bowled a fine spell to pick four wickets in the first essay but could only manage seven runs when his turn came to bat.
However, the 32-year-old turned it on with the ball once again by picking five wickets in Kent’s second innings to help Nottinghamshire bowl out their opposition for 259.
Ashwin has been in stellar form in county cricket this season. This is just his fourth match and he has already claimed 32 wickets. This five-for was his fourth in seven innings for the Trentbridge side, and he has one 10-wicket match haul to his name as well (when he picked up six in each innings against Surrey).
He was excluded recently from India’s Test XI in the West Indies, a move that Sunil Gavaskar termed ‘astonishing’ but Ashwin returned to England to continue his fine red-ball form.
The ace off-spinner will be expected to return to the Indian side when the home season begins with the three-match Test series against South Africa.
Meanwhile, Murali Vijay, the other Indian plying his trade in the first division of England’s domestic cricket at the moment, had a forgettable debut for Somerset. After being dismissed for seven runs off 46 deliveries in the first innings against Yorkshire, the right-handed opener fell for an eight-ball duck in the second innings.
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