Former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble hailed Ravichandran Ashwin after he bagged a five-wicket haul on the third day’s play against England at Ranchi on Sunday. Ashwin returned with impressive figures of 5-51 and played a key role in skittling England at 145 runs in the second dig.
This was the 35th five-wicket haul for the veteran off-spinner, which helped him level Anil Kumble’s record. In fact, England were 110-3 but they lost the last seven wickets for only 35 runs and Ashwin was the chief destroyer along with Kuldeep Yadav, who bagged figures of 4-22.
Ashwin opened the bowling attack for the hosts and was quick to dismiss Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope on successive balls.
Furthermore, Ashwin scalped the big wicket of Joe Root, who scored a fine century in the first innings, as he plumbed him in front. Moreover, the off-spinner dismissed Ben Foakes and James Anderson.
“Oh, yes. It was a fantastic effort from Ashwin. Much needed because at lunchtime I think there was a question asked saying, Ashwin hasn’t had a great impact on the series. I mean, this is the most important day of the series for India to go ahead in that series. And look at those 35 five-wicket hauls it’s quite amazing to see records coming in for Ashwin,” Kumble said on JioCinema.
Former Karnataka player hailed Ashwin’s ability to adapt and evolve in every condition to deliver the goods for the team.
“It’s wonderful to see Ashwin right up there, and I’m sure he’ll go beyond that. He still has a lot of matches to play for India and starts winning as well. He’s done that throughout. That’s why I said, when someone has sort of given you that kind of start to his Test career, the expectations just go higher and higher and higher,” Kumble added.
Kumble lauded Ashwin for answering the critics in style with another brilliant bowling performance.
“And when someone doesn’t pick up two five-wickets in two innings or in two Test matches, people talk about his form, about his actions, about why he’s changing this while he’s changing that. But you know you need to. That is all noise. You just need to keep that away and champion bowlers do that. And Ashwin has certainly done that in this innings where India needed him most. The spinners had to come to the party in this innings and knock England out for less than 150 is a brilliant effort from Ashwin,” the former bowler concluded.
India needs 74 runs to win the fourth Test with seven wickets in hand.
