Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin achieved a significant milestone on Sunday, September 22, during India’s first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Ashwin shone with both bat and ball as India won the match by 280 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
In Bangladesh’s second innings, Ashwin recorded a five-wicket haul, eventually finishing with impressive figures of 6/88. The five-wicket haul marked his 37th in Test cricket, allowing him to tie with the late Australian legend Shane Warne’s 18-year-old record. Playing in his 101st Test match, Ashwin also surpassed New Zealand great Richard Hadlee, who had 36 fifers to his name. In addition, the 38-year-old now trails only Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who holds the record with a remarkable 67 five-wicket hauls.
In the match, India were asked to bat first, and while the top order struggled, Ashwin anchored the innings. He scored a stunning century and formed a crucial partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, helping India reach 376 in the first innings. He didn’t have much impact with the ball in the second innings but conceded only 29 runs in his 13-over spell. Meanwhile, in the third innings, he did not get an opportunity to bat.
Ashwin was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance at his home ground. During the post-match presentation ceremony, he expressed his joy at playing in Chepauk.
“Every time I play in Chennai in front of this crowd, it’s an amazing feeling for me. I have watched a lot of Test cricket and international cricket sitting in those stands. To play in front of those stands, it’s a beautifully renovated stadium now, that itself is a special feeling for me. I am probably enjoying my game because of what I am doing and not because of what I want to get out of it. It was an opportunity to fight and dig in deep, that’s one of the reasons why we all play the game.
“I have seen so many of my team-mates do that in the past. I just kept it really simple, have to thank Jadeja for what he did, he just took me through the tough phases of the innings. Quite a special knock on the first day, didn’t sink in until day two. Glad I ended up with a few wickets today as well. I make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first all the time. I think like a bowler mostly but I have made a conscious effort to think like a batter when I walk out with a bat in my hand. Batting is something that comes naturally but yet I have struggled sometimes with my thought getting ahead of myself. I have tried to manage it. Over the last few years, I have managed to compartmentalize both, but it is a work in process,” he said.
Here’s the list of players with the most five-wicket hauls in Test history:
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 67
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 37
- Shane Warne (Australia) – 37
- Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) – 36
- Anil Kumble (India) – 35
