Team Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin scaled yet another milestone at the ongoing fourth Test against England at Ranchi on Sunday as he registered a five-wicket haul to go on level with legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble with 35 fifers to his name.
The spinner from Tamil Nadu stands tied fourth in the list of most five-wicket hauls only behind some iconic names such as magical Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has an incredible 67 fifers in 133 Tests.
Australian great Shane Warne stands a distant second with 37 five-wicket hauls from his 145 Tests. New Zealand legend Richard Hadlee comes in third with 36 fifers from 86 games, followed by Ashwin and Kumble.
Team India managed to put up 307 runs in their first innings in reply to England’s 353 total. The visitors had a 46-run lead going into the second innings before Ashwin started weaving his spin magic.
The 37-year-old gave the hosts an early breakthrough in the second innings as he sent Ben Duckett back to the hut in the fifth over, before dismissing new batter Ollie Pope in the very next delivery to make it a double-wicket over.
Joe Root, who had made an unbeaten ton in the first innings, fell to the off-break bowler for just 11 runs to leave England reeling at 65 for 3.
Kuldeep Yadav got rid of Zak Crawley, who put up a half-century, shortly before sending English skipper Ben Stokes back to the dugout with his crafty spin.
Ravindra Jadeja jumped in on the act as he scalped Jonny Bairstow for 30, before Kuldeep got rid of Tom Hartley. Ollie Robinson followed his teammate back to the hut in the very same over.
Ashwin completed his landmark fifer with the dismissal of James Anderson to wrap up the English second innings for 145 runs.
India came out to chase the 193-run target with a two-game lead in the five-match series looming large on the horizon.
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