Ravichandran Ashwin Becomes First Bowler To Dismiss Left-Handed Batsmen 200 Times In Test Cricket

Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday picked the 29th five-wicket haul of his career as he dismantled half of the England batting line-up single-handedly in his hometown Chennai in the ongoing second Test match of the series. It was also Ashwin’s consecutive five-for after picking 6 wickets in the second innings of the first Test, albeit India lost the game.

However, in the second Test, the hosts are well on the course of a series-levelling victory after having taken a massive 195-run lead in the third session of Day 2.

R Ashwin took 5 wickets in England’s first innings in 23.5 overs and giving away only 43 runs – an economy of 1.8 – as the visitors were bowled out for the total of 134, which is 27 less than Rohit Sharma alone scored in the first innings.

After Ishant Sharma dismissed Rory Burns, Ashwin was quick to get rid of Dom Sibley having him caught by Virat Kohli at leg-slip. Joe Root was caught by Ashwin top-edging a sweep off Axar Patel.

After which, the 34-year-old off-spinner snared another couple of English wickets; Daniel Lawrence and Ben Stokes on either side of Lunch. While Lawrence gloved the ball to Shubman Gill at short-leg; Stokes was cleaned up by a loopy off-spinning delivery from the champion off-spinner.

Ravichandran Ashwin returned to clean up the tail – Olly Stone got out as a soft dismissal as he chipped the ball to Rohit Sharma at mid-wicket; Stuart Broad was bowled looking to sweep a fuller length delivery and missed it – may have even inside-edged it – on to the sticks as Ashwin claimed his 29th fifer, 23rd in India.

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the first bowler to dismiss 200 left-handers in Test cricket

With the wicket of Stuart Broad, Ravichandran Ashwin became the first-ever bowler in Test cricket to dismiss 200 left-handers. He has the proclivity to challenge the left-handers considering he turns the ball away from them – however, no bowler in the game has foxed more lefties than the Chennai off-spinner has.

David Warner is his bunny – Ashwin has got the better of the Australian opener on 10 occasions in Test cricket. Former England captain and left-handed opener, Sir Alastair Cook has been Ashwin’s victim 9 times as has been Ben Stokes.

Sri Lankan legend, Muttiah Muralitharan is second on the list of most wickets of left-hander’s with 191 scalps followed by England’s James Anderson with the tally of 190 dismissals.

Also Read: India vs England 2021: Harbhajan Singh Trolls Isa Guha For Her Prediction On England’s Total