Ravichandran Ashwin on Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh.© AFP
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became the first ever cricketer in history to have scored 20-plus fifty plus scores along with 30-plus five wicket hauls in the longest format of the game. He is thus the first cricketer in the 147-year history of Test cricket to achieve the feat. Ashwin reached another great height as an all-rounder during the first Test against Bangladesh at his home stadium in Chennai on Thursday. After India was in a troublesome situation at 144/6, Ashwin started a fine counter-attack with Ravindra Jadeja, scoring 102* in 112 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 91.07.
Ashwin, who has 36 five-wicket hauls, the third-most by a Test bowler, also has scored six hundred and 14 fifties in the longest format of the game. He is the only cricketer to have scored 20 or more fifty plus scores and have 30 five-wicket hauls in Tests.
Ashwin has four Test centuries in Tests from position number eight or below. New Zealand all-rounder Daniel Vettori has most number of centuries from number eight or below in Tests, with five tons.
The 38-year-old all-rounder has a fine record at his home stadium, MA Chidambram Stadium. In five Tests and seven innings, Ashwin has scored 331 runs at an average of 55.16, with two centuries and a fifty. Ashwin has also taken 30 wickets at an average of 23.60, with the best figures of 7/103. He has four five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul at the venue.
Ashwin is among top all-rounders like Garfield Sobers (West Indies), Kapil Dev (India), Chris Cairns (New Zealand), and and Ian Botham (England) to have multiple five fors and multiple centuries at a venue in Test cricket.
Coming to the match, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first. The top-order collapsed and India was left at 34/3. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (56 in 118 balls, with nine fours) and Rishabh Pant (39 in 52 balls, with six fours) stitched a 62-run partnership for the fourth wicket, bringing India into the game. After India was reduced to 144/6, Ashwin and Jadeja (86* in 117 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes) stitched a 195-run partnership, ending the day at 339/6.
Hasan Mahmud (4/58) was the top bowler for Bangladesh, destroying the Indian top order, removing skipper Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (6).
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