Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran Indian off-spinner, showcased his bowling prowess, claiming five wickets to dismiss England for 145 runs in their second innings on Day 3.
India bundled out England for 145 runs in their second innings, showcasing a formidable bowling performance on Day 3. Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian off-spinner, was the star of the show, claiming a five-wicket haul with figures of 5/51 in 15.5 overs. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav played a crucial role, securing a four-wicket haul and dismantling the English middle and lower order with his skillful spin bowling.
In a significant achievement, Ravichandran Ashwin now shares the record for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by an Indian bowler. He matched Anil Kumble’s tally of 35 5-fers but achieved this milestone in just 99 matches, compared to Kumble’s 132 Tests. Harbhajan Singh holds the third position with 25 five-wicket hauls in 103 games. Kapil Dev has 23 5-fers from 131 matches, while Bhagwath Chandrasekhar has accumulated 16 five-wicket hauls from 58 Tests.
Most 5-fers for India in Tests:
- Ravichandran Ashwin: 35 5-fers from 99 Tests
- Anil Kumble: 35 5-fers from 132 Tests
- Harbhajan Singh: 25 5-fers from 103 Tests
- Kapil Dev: 23 5-fers from 131 Tests
- BS Chandrasekhar: 16 5-fers from 58 Tests
Ravichandran Ashwin played a pivotal part in putting England on the back foot, claiming the early wickets of the dangerous Ben Duckett (15 runs from 15 balls) and Ollie Pope (dismissed for a golden duck). Sarfaraz Khan’s catch at forward short leg ended Duckett’s brief stay, while Ashwin trapped Pope in front with the very next ball.
Despite Joe Root’s century in the first innings, he couldn’t repeat his performance, getting out for 11 runs from 36 balls against Ashwin. Kuldeep Yadav joined the wicket-taking sprint, dismissing Zak Crawley for 60 off 91 balls with a delivery that beat both turn and bounce, hitting the middle stump. Ben Stokes fell prey to Yadav as well, caught off guard while scoring four runs off thirteen balls.
After Tea, Ravindra Jadeja got rid of Jonny Bairstow on the first ball he bowled. Ashwin then wrapped up the English innings, removing Ben Foakes and James Anderson for 7 and 0 runs, respectively. England could only manage to score 145 runs, setting India a goal of 192 runs in their second innings.
In the pursuit of the target, India concluded Day 3 at 40/0 from 8 overs, needing 152 more runs on Day 4. The Indian team is eager to chase down the target and achieve a 3-1 victory in the five-match series.
