Ravi Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI)
In the fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Ahmedabad, Ravichandran Ashwin spearheaded India’s spin attack from the front and claimed figures of 6/91 with the ball against Australia in the first innings.
With Todd Murphy’s wicket, the off-spinner took a fifer in the game and also surpassed Anil Kumble’s feat of claiming the most wickets for India against Australia in Tests. In November 2008, Kumble took retirement from international cricket after playing the first two Tests of the 2008-09 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against the Aussies. The bowling legend ended his career fetching 111 wickets in 38 innings of 20 Tests against Australia.
Ashwin has now left Kumble behind and become the leading wicket-taker for India against the Aussies. So far, the 36-year-old has picked up 113 wickets in 41 innings of 22 Tests. Along with this record, the legendary spinner has also levelled Australia’s Nathan Lyon’s feat of taking the most wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Till now, Lyon has hunted 113 Indian batters in 47 innings of 26 Tests (Border-Gavaskar Trophy). Both Ashwin and Lyon are the leading wicket-takers for their respective sides in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With 24 wickets in seven innings of four games, Ashwin is ruling the chart with most wickets in the ongoing Test series.
Earlier, in the first Test of the competition in Nagpur, he also became the second bowler to take 450 wickets for India in the longest format of the sport, dismissing Alex Carey in the first innings.
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly lauds Ashwin’s bowling efforts
Following Ashwin’s spectacular bowling display in the first innings, former India captain Sourav Ganguly appreciated the stylish spinner. On the batting surface of Ahmedabad, Ashwin helped India to make a comeback by removing dangerous Cameron Green on 114.
After Green’s wicket, he also took the scalps of Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Todd Murphy to wrap Australia’s innings on 480. Earlier, on Day 1, he also provided a breakthrough to the team with Travis Head’s wicket.
Impressed by the off spinner’s fabulous bowling show, Ganguly took to Twitter and wrote “Great to see ashwin bowl so well on a good pitch .. class will always show .. hopefully this will be a good test match .. good opportunity for indian batsman after some tuff wickets to bat on ,in this series .. @bcci @ashwinravi99”.
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