Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the second highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket. Ashwin did so during the first Test of the two-match series against the West Indies in Dominica. The veteran spinner recorded one of his best away performances as he took 5/60 in the first innings and 7/71 in the second innings to finish with combined figures of 12/131. With this performance. Ashwin has 709 wickets from 271 international matches.
These wickets came at an average of 25.67 and his best bowling figures were 7/59. 27 four-wicket hauls, 34 five-wicket hauls and 8 ten-wicket hauls in international cricket.
India’s best bowler in international cricket is Anil Kumble, who has scored 953 runs in 401 matches at an average of 30.06 with excellent figures of 10/74. 39 four-wicket hauls, 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket hauls.
Harbhajan has now slipped to the third spot with 707 wickets at an average of 32.59 from 365 matches and figures of 8/84. He has taken 19 four-wicket hauls, 28 five-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket hauls in international cricket.
With this ten-wicket haul, Ashwin is tied with Kumble for the most ten-wicket haul by an Indian bowler with a total of eight wickets. Harbhajan is next with a total of five and ten wickets.
Ashwin’s figures of 12/131 are the third best bowling performance by an Indian in an away Test. The best performance by an overseas Indian was Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s combined score of 12/104 in a Test against Australia in Melbourne in 1977. He is followed by Irfan Pathan who crushed Zimbabwe with 12/126 in Harare in 2005.
The spinner’s 12/131 is also the third best bowling performance by a player in an India-West Indies Test. Narendra Hirwani’s 16/136 at Chennai in 1988 is the best bowling performance by an Indian against West Indies till date. He is followed by Andy Roberts who took 12/121 against India in Chennai in 1975.
Ashwin took five-wicket hauls six times in both innings of a Test, the most by an Indian. Overall, Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has done this feat the most, 11 times.
The spinner now has six five-wicket hauls against the West Indies, an Indian player. He is tied with Malcolm Marshall for the most wicket-takers in India-West Indies Tests with five.
West Indies opted to bat first and were bowled out for 150 runs in their first innings. Only Athanase (47) and captain Braithwaite (20) managed to contribute anything respectable on the scoreboard. Ashwin’s fifer and Ravindra Jadeja’s figures of 3/26 were the best performances in the Indian bowling charts.
Captain Rohit Sharma (30*) and debutant Yashaswi Jaiswal (40*) remained unbeaten to take India to 80/0 on Day 1.
After that, India overcame the West Indies on the second day with Rohit and Jaiswal at the crease. Rohit scored his 10th Test century and Jaiswal got a century on debut. Rohit scored 103 runs off 221 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. With this, the opening partnership of 229 runs ended.
Next, Jaiswal and Virat Kohli put on a 110-run partnership for the third wicket. Jaiswal was out after scoring 171 runs off 387 balls with 16 fours and a six. Kohli missed out on a 182-ball 76 with five boundaries.
Ravindra Jadeja (37*) and debutant Ishan Kishan (1*) remained unbeaten as India declared their innings at 421/5.
Kemar Roach, Alzari Joseph, Rahkeem Cornwell, Jomel Warrican and Alik Athanase took one wicket each for the hosts. India lead by 271 runs.
In reply, West Indies again looked ill-equipped to deal with the spin attack of the Ashwin-Jadeja duo. The two all-rounders displayed their spin magic once again, bowling out Windies for just 130 runs.
Only Alik Athanase (28) and Jason Holder (20*) managed to break 20 runs for Windies.
Ashwin took 7/71 and Jadeja 2/38. Mohammad Siraj gets a wicket.
Jaiswal scored a century and was the man of the match. India leads the two-match series 1-0.
(This story was not edited by NDTV staff, but was automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
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