India's superstar spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, showcased his exceptional talent once again by claiming his 37th 5-wicket haul in Tests. This remarkable achievement came as Ashwin took 6 wickets against Bangladesh in the second innings of the first Test at Chepauk, his home ground. Despite a less productive first innings in terms of bowling, where he failed to secure a wicket, Ashwin made a significant impact with the bat by scoring a century and contributing to the team's total of 376 runs.
In the second innings, Ashwin's bowling prowess played a crucial role in India's comprehensive 280-run victory in the series opener. With this performance, Ashwin equaled the legendary Shane Warne's record for the second most 5-wicket hauls in Test cricket (37). The record for the most 5-wicket hauls in Tests is held by Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan with an impressive 67.
As Ashwin emerges as a key match-winner for the team, let's delve into some of the remarkable records held by the maestro in Indian Test cricket:
1. Second highest wicket-taker for India (522)
2. Most 5-wicket hauls for India (37)
3. Joint highest number of 10-wicket hauls for India (10)
4. Fastest to reach milestones of 250, 300, and 350 wickets in the world
5. Second highest number of centuries at No. 8 or below in the world (4)
6. Sole cricketer to achieve 30 5-wicket hauls and score 20 50+ scores
Ashwin's innings of 113 off 133 balls played a pivotal role in India achieving a first-innings total of over 350 runs, particularly given the struggles of the team's top-order batsmen. Despite facing similar challenges in the second innings, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill both scored centuries, propelling the team to a total of 287/4 before captain Rohit Sharma declared the innings.
On Day 4, India efficiently dismissed the remaining 6 Bangladesh batters in the first session, following the 4 wickets taken on Day 3. This victory has secured India a commanding 1-0 lead in the 2-match series.
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