Ashwin picked his 29th fifter in Test cricket yesterday as he saw the back of Sibley, Lawrence and Stokes breaking the backbone of the English top-order. He returned with 5-43 in 23.5 overs routing England for their second-lowest score in India and giving the home team a match-defining 195-run lead. If Day 2 belonged to Ashwin the bowler, Ashwin the batsman dominated Day 3.
Ashwin produced one of the best performances of his Test career when India needed it the most - when, after many years, their home domination was being challenged by a visiting team. His recent exploits with the bat in Australia suggest a turnaround for Ashwin the batsman after poor returns in the last few years.
Ashwin - the all-rounder - could not have chosen a better moment to make a comeback for India - in front of his home crowd when the team needed the senior statesman to step up and make his performance count.
Ashwin picked his 29th fifter in Test cricket yesterday as he saw the back of Sibley, Lawrence and Stokes breaking the backbone of the English top-order. He returned with 5-43 in 23.5 overs routing England for their second-lowest score in India and giving the home team a match-defining 195-run lead. If Day 2 belonged to Ashwin the bowler, Ashwin the batsman dominated Day 3.
India lost 5 quick wickets in the morning session and were in trouble at 106 for 6 when Ashwin joined his skipper Virat Kohli at the crease.
Ashwin picked his 29th fifter in Test cricket yesterday as he saw the back of Sibley, Lawrence and Stokes breaking the backbone of the English top-order. He returned with 5-43 in 23.5 overs routing England for their second-lowest score in India and giving the home team a match-defining 195-run lead. If Day 2 belonged to Ashwin the bowler, Ashwin the batsman dominated Day 3.
He then came in to bat with India in trouble at 106 for 6 in the second innings and put together a potentially match-winning partnership of 96 with Virat Kohli for the seventh wicket.
Ashwin, the local boy, had produced a masterclass with the ball yesterday returning with 5-43 helping India rout England for 134.
R Ashwin registered a unique hat-trick today by scoring a hundred and taking a fifer in the same Test for a third time in his Test career. The off spinner who had returned with 5 wickets on Day 2 to rout England for 134, scored a masterclass unbeaten 106 under pressure today batting England out of the match
Earlier during his knock, R Ashwin became the first Indian cricketer to bag five wickets in an innings and also register a fifty in the same Test at his home ground.