R Ashwin breaks Nathan Lyon's record in World Test Championship
Ravichandran Ashwin, India's star spinner, has surpassed Nathan Lyon's record for the most five-wicket hauls in the history of the World Test Championship (WTC). The achievement came during the first Test against Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He claimed a match-winning 6/88 in the last innings of the game. En route, he also became the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Here are further details.
11th WTC fifer for Ashwin
Ashwin's record-breaking performance surpassed Lyon, who has secured 10 five-wicket hauls in 43 matches for the 2023 WTC winners. The Indian spinner now has 11 fifers in the competition as he has raced to 180 WTC wickets. Only Lyon (187) has more WTC scalps. This achievement also makes Ashwin the oldest Indian cricketer to take a five-wicket haul in Test cricket, further cementing his legacy in the sport.
Ashwin equals Warne's record, surpasses Hadlee
In addition to his WTC success, Ashwin's five-wicket haul in the second innings of the ongoing match has helped him surpass Richard Hadlee and equal Shane Warne's records for five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. He now shares third place with Warne at 37 five-wicket hauls, overtaking Hadlee who had 36. In terms of Test fifers, Ashwin is now only behind Sri Lanka legend Muthiah Muralidaran (67).
Ashwin surpasses Walsh to become 8th leading wicket-taker
Ashwin's successful performance in the Chennai Test also saw him overtake former West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh's record of 519 wickets. He now stands as the eighth leading wicket-taker in Test cricket history with 522 wickets from 101 matches at 23.7. This achievement further solidifies his position among the top bowlers in international cricket. He owns 29 wickets against the Tigers at 25.27 (5W: 2).
Summary of the 1st Test
India scored 376 in their 1st innings, riding on a century from Ashwin and a score of 86 from Ravindra Jadeja. In response, Jasprit Bumrah's four-fer saw Bangladesh fold for 149. India declared their second innings at 287/4 thanks to centurions Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Chasing a mammoth 515, Bangladesh fought well but eventually fell way short of the target thanks to Ashwin's six-fer.
