After the 1st Test in West Indies, former Cricket player Anil Kumble praises Ashwin saying that he plays with the batsman’s mind.
Anil Kumble Praises Ashwin Efforts on 1st WI Test
Ravichandran Ashwin was showing his best at the 1st Test on West Indies tour 2023 in Dominica where he picked 12 wickets in two innings.
It was his eighth 10-wicket haul, joining Anil Kumble’s record. He is also one five-haul wicket in behind Kumble’s 35th five-wicket haul.
His dozen wickets coupled with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 171 made India win with a big difference with an innings. Anil Kumble praised the off-spinners efforts which is said to be the best for any Indian in West Indies.
“Ashwin plays with the batsmen’s mind. It is not just about the skills you have. It is also the ability to transfer pressure onto the batter which you could see in every batter that faced R Ashwin, you could see that in their body language,” Kumble said on JioCinema.
“He bowled wide off the crease with the ball coming into the left-hander. Once the left-hander thought the balls will come in is when Ashwin bowled that beautiful delivery to Chanderpaul which just drifted in and left him and took the off stump,” he said.
Ashwin achievements on 1st Test
The Indian spinner recorded his finest performances, taking 5/60 in the first innings and 7/71 in the second innings finishing the first test with a figure of 12/131. With numerous achievements in test records, Ashwin has 709 wickets in 271 international matches after Anil Kumble.
The wickets come at an average of 25.67 and his best figures is 7/59. He has 27 four-wicket hauls, 34 five-wicket hauls, and 8 ten-wicket hauls in international cricket.
Former India’s cricket Anil Kumble has taken 953 wickets in 401 matches at an average of 30.06 with best figures of 10/74. He has 39 four-wicket hauls, 37 five-wicket hauls, and eight ten-wicket hauls.
Ravichandran Ashwin surpasses Harbhajan and becomes the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket.
Harbhajan has now slipped to third position, with 707 wickets in 365 matches at an average of 32.59 and best figures of 8/84. He has 19 four-wicket hauls, 28 five-wicket hauls, and 5 ten-wicket hauls in international cricket.
Ashwin’s figures of 12/131 are the third-best bowling figures by an Indian in an away Test after Bagwhath Chandrasekar with 12/104 and Irfan Pathan with 12/126.
The spinner’s 12/131 is also the third-best bowling performance by a player in India-West Indies Test. The best bowling performance by an Indian against the Windies till this day is by Narendra Hirwani, who took 16/136 at Chennai back in 1988. He is followed by Andy Roberts, who took 12/121 against India in Chennai back in 1975.
WI Vs IND 1st Test
West Indies opted to bat first and was folded by India for 150 in their first innings. Athanaze (47) and skipper Braithwaite (20) were the only ones who contributed something to the scoreboard. Ashwin’s five-wicket haul and Ravindra Jadeja’s figures of 3/26 were the best ones in the bowling charts.
India ended the first day of their first innings with 80/0, with Rohit Sharma (30*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (40*) unbeaten.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a century on his Test debut and becomes the 17th Indian to register this record. He joins the list of Indians who have scored a century on Test debut with Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma.
Rohit was dismissed for 103 in 221 balls, consisting of 10 fours and two sixes. This ended a 229-run opening stand.
After Rohit’s dismissal, Jaiswal and Virat Kohli had a partnership of 110 runs for the third wicket. Jaiswal was dismissed after scoring 171 in 387 balls, consisting of 16 fours and a six. Kohli missed out on his century, scoring 76 in 182 balls consisting of five boundaries.
India declared their innings at 421/5, with Ravindra Jadeja (37*) and debutant Ishan Kishan (1*) unbeaten.
West Indies once again failed to face the spinners, the Ashwin-Jadeja duo as they took a total of 9 wickets in the second innings. Both all-rounders showcase their skills on their spells, folding out West Indies for just 130 runs.
