R Ashwin equals this record of legend Anil Kumble: Stats
India hammered Australia in the 1st Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The hosts racked up 400, with skipper Rohit Sharma scoring a ton. The Indian spinners decimated the Aussies twice to claim an innings win. Ravichandran Ashwin took eight wickets, including a second-innings five-wicket haul. He equaled Indian legend Anil Kumble in terms of Test fifers in India.
Why does this story matter?
Ashwin thwarted Australia's chase by taking five wickets. He opened his account by getting a leading edge of Usman Khawaja. The Indian spinner then affected four LBW dismissals, dismissing David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, and Alex Carey. Ashwin claimed his 31st five-wicket haul in Tests. It was his 25th Test fifer in India, now the joint-highest with Kumble.
A look at the notable stats
Interestingly, Ashwin and Kumble are the only players with over 20 Test fifers in India. Harbhajan Singh follows the duo with 18 such five-wicket hauls. According to ESPNcricinfo, only two players have registered more Test five-wicket hauls at home than Ashwin and Kumble. Only former Sri Lanka spinners Muthiah Muralidaran (45) and Rangana Herath (26) are ahead of the Indian duo in this regard.
Fastest Indian to 450 Test wickets
Earlier in the Test, Ashwin became just the second Indian bowler after Kumble to complete 450 wickets in Test cricket. Overall, he is the ninth bowler in Test history to have entered this club. Ashwin even became the fastest Indian to have taken 450 Test wickets. He broke Kumble's record, who reached this landmark in 93 Tests. Ashwin accomplished the milestone in 89 Tests.
Ashwin in elite company
Ashwin (31) is one of two Indians besides Kumble (35) to register 30 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Overall, the Indian off-spinner is among the seven players to have achieved this feat. Ashwin has the second-most 10-wicket hauls (7) by an Indian bowler.
Ashwin dismisses Warner for the 11th time
In the second innings, Australian batter Warner became Ashwin's victim. The latter dismissed Warner for the 11th time in just 19 innings. Warner has accumulated just 192 runs in this battle at a paltry average of 17.45. He has smashed Ashwin for 22 boundaries and three sixes in the longest format. Only England's Stuart Broad (14) has dismissed Warner more times in Tests.
Ashwin races to 97 Test wickets against Australia
Versus the Aussies, Ashwin has managed to take 97 Test scalps so far. Notably, 58 of his wickets have come at home. The remaining 39 have come Down Under. Ashwin is now the second-highest wicket-taker in India-Australia Tests after Kumble (111). The former surpassed the tally of Harbhajan and Nathan Lyon (95 each). Besides, Ashwin claimed his sixth five-wicket haul versus Australia.
The summary of 1st Test
Opting to bat, Australia folded on 177/10. Marnus Labuschagne (49) fared decently, with Steven Smith, Carey, and Handscomb also chipping in. For India, spinner Ravindra Jadeja took a stunning fifer (5/47). The hosts then clobbered 400 and took a 223-run lead. Rohit top scored, while Axar Patel and Jadeja played vital knocks. Ashwin-Jadeja then annihilated Australia (91/10) to snatch an easy win.
