Srinagar: India’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bounced break strongly from the low of WTC Final snub, to shatter multiple records as India crush hosts West Indies in 3-days in Dominica to register inning win.
In the first innings, he picked five wickets for 60 runs, recording his 33rd five-wicket haul which put him past England legend James Anderson and making him the bowler with most fifers in the format among active bowlers. In the second innings, he improved his show to pick seven wickets as India restricted West Indies to just 130 runs.
Ashwin now equalled Rangana Herath’s tally of 34 five-wicket hauls in Tests, standing only one behind the legendary Anil Kumble (35) and fifth overall. The twin fifers implied that Ashwin went past Harbhajan Singh for Indian bowler with most such figures in the rivalry and he also stands atop alongside the great Malcolm Marshall.
It was the sixth time in his career that he picked a five-wicket haul in both the innings of the Test match, equalling Sydney Barnes and standing third in the all-time list after Muttiah Muralitharan (11) and Herath (8). Ashwin, however, is the only ever Indian bowler to achieve this feat in a Test in West Indies.
The fifer in the second innings also implied a ten-wicket haul in the Test match, an eighth instance for Ashwin in his illustrious career, that puts him at par with Kumble and joint-fifth overall.
Ashwin also went past late Aussie great Shane Warne in the list of most five-wicket hauls in a winning cause. Ashwin’s 28 such instances now only stands behind Muralitharan’s 41.
Overall, Ashwin finished with a bowling figure of 12 for 131, which is now the best match returns for Ashwin in an away Test, the best by an Indian bowler in a Test in West Indies and best by a spinner ever.