For the second outing on the trot, India’s star off-spinner Ashwin Ravichandran claimed five wickets as India skittled out England for 134 on Sunday, with the tourists conceding a first innings lead of 195 runs on day two of the second Test in Chennai.
Ashwin bowled Stuart Broad for nought, ending England’s first innings in the final session while responding to India’s 329. It was Ashwin’s 29th five-for in his 76th Test.
India vs England, second Test, day two blog
The innings once again was headlined by a spin bowling masterclass from the Chennai bowler. The wicket of Broad marked a special double century for Ashwin, as it was his 200th dismissal of a left-hander in Test cricket, the first bowler in history to reach that milestone.
R Ashwin's dismissal summary in Test matches
| Wickets | Bowled | Caught (fielders) | Caught WK | Stumpings | LBW | Ave | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwin vs RHB | 191 | 43 | 93 | 19 | 3 | 33 | 22.18 |
| Ashwin vs LHB | 200 | 40 | 88 | 19 | 5 | 48 | 22.40 |
Out of Ashwin’s 29 five-fors, 23 have come at home and he is now only behind Sri Lankan legends Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath, and India’s Anil Kumble.
Most five-fors in home Tests
| Player | Matches | Inns | Home wickets | Ave | SR | 5-fors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murali (SL) | 73 | 134 | 493 | 19.56 | 50.8 | 45 |
| Herath (SL) | 49 | 92 | 278 | 23.65 | 51.3 | 26 |
| Kumble (IND) | 63 | 115 | 350 | 24.88 | 59.4 | 25 |
| Ashwin (IND) | 45 | 86 | 268 | 22.54 | 49.0 | 23 |
| Anderson (ENG) | 89 | 169 | 384 | 23.83 | 50.2 | 22 |
Ashwin also bounced back after a disappointing outing in the 2016 Test match in Chennai against the same opponent, and has now picked up four five-fors in seven innings at his home venue.
Ashwin in Test matches at Chepauk:
vs AUS 2013: 7/103, 5/95
vs ENG 2016: 1/151, 0/56
vs ENG 2021: 3/146, 6/61, 5/43
Ashwin also surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the second highest wicket-taker in Test matches played in India. Harbhajan took 265 wickets at an average of 28.76 and Ashwin went past that tally with his dismissal of Ben Stokes – a perfect off-spinner’s wicket.
Former captain and coach Anil Kumble is the leading wicket-taker in India with 350 to his name at an average of 24.88. He is, of course, India’s leading wicket-taker in Tests with 619 wickets to his name.
Harbhajan is third in the overall standings with 417 wickets and Ashwin, who is inching towards the 400-wicket mark, is fourth with 391. Kapil Dev is second on the all-time list for India with 434 wickets.
Most Test wickets in India
| Player | Mat | Inns | Wkts | Ave | SR | 5-WI | 10-WM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumble | 63 | 115 | 350 | 24.88 | 59.4 | 25 | 7 |
| Ashwin | 45 | 86 | 268 | 22.54 | 49.0 | 23 | 6 |
| Harbhajan | 55 | 103 | 265 | 28.76 | 64.1 | 18 | 4 |
| Kapil | 65 | 119 | 219 | 26.49 | 55.7 | 11 | 2 |
| Jadeja | 33 | 65 | 157 | 21.06 | 56.1 | 7 | 1 |
Speaking of milestones, Ashwin had created a record in the first Test against England when he dismissed England opener Rory Burns in the second innings: something that had not happened in 100 years of Test cricket.
England crashed to 39/4 in a dramatic morning session that saw the fall of eight wickets, including skipper Joe Root for six.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel and paceman Ishant Sharma took two wickets each while England wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes remained unbeaten on 42 off 107 balls.
England lost half their side for 52 when Ashwin bowled Ben Stokes for 18 with a superb delivery that came in with the angle and turned away sharply.
Foakes, taking the place of Jos Buttler who returned home after the opening win in the four-match series, then put on 35 with Ollie Pope. The pair batted for over 50 minutes before pace bowler Mohammed Siraj struck with his first ball of the Test, removing Pope for 22.
Patel then sent back Moeen Ali for six. England managed to avoid follow-on but they did not have too many answers to India’s primary striker bowler at home.
And it was Ashwin who fittingly led his team off the pitch at his home ground.
Stats courtesy: ESPNCricinfo Statsguru and Cricket statisticians
With AFP and PTI inputs
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!