IND vs WI: R Ashwin grabs his Test career’s 33rd five-wicket haul as India restrict WI to 150 in first innings

Electing to bat first, West Indies started off well against the new ball bowlers. India captain Rohit Sharma had to introduce R Ashwin early and the premier spinner didn’t disappoint.

The right-arm off-spinner removed Windies openers soon after being introduced into the attack and went on claiming his Test career’s 33rd fifer. He returned with figures of 5/60 from 24.3 overs. Ravichandran Ashwin becomes only 3rd Indian to 700 international wickets

The tall Tamil Nadu all-rounder took the wickets of opposition captain Kraigg Brathwaite (20), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (12), Alick Athanaze (47), Alzarri Joseph (4) and Jomel Warrican (1). He’s the sixth-highest bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul in the red-ball format.

Except for debutant left-hander Alick Athanaze (47 off 99), who batted responsibly, none of the Caribbean batters had the technique to survive on a slow two-paced track as no one could even cross the 20-run mark.

Ashwin – who was dropped in the WTC Final against Australia which Team India lost – was the tormentor in the first session while Ravindra Jadeja (11-5-24-2) made full use of the footmarks created by his spin twin, getting appreciable turn and bounce off the surface as WI reached 137-8 at tea break.

The Tamil Nadu spinner was introduced in the attack in the post-tea session and was hit for a couple of boundaries by Rahkeem Cornwall. Jadeja trapped Kemar Roach in front and later Ashwin dismissed Warrican in his next over by getting him caught at forward short-leg by Shubman Gill to end the hosts’ innings.

Most 5 Wicket Hauls in Test

Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) – 62 Fifers

Shane Warne (AUS) – 37 Fifers

Sir Richard Hadlee (NZ) – 36 Fifers

Anil Kumble (IND) – 35 Fifers

Rangana Herath (SL) – 34 Fifers

R Ashwin (IND) – 33 Fifers

Earlier in the day, Ashwin achieved a rare distinction of getting the wickets of both father and son in his illustrious Test career when he dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies.

Ashwin, who had made his Test debut in 2011 in New Delhi, had dismissed Tagenarine’s father Shivnarine Chanderpaul during his maiden appearance in the longest format.

Ashwin had trapped Chanderpaul senior plumb in front in the second innings of that Test match which happened 12 years back. Ashwin, who had 474 Test wickets before this match, bowled young Tagenarine with a beauty and became only fifth bowler in world cricket to dismiss both father and son during his career.

Funnily, it is the Chanderpauls, who feature thrice in the list of the father and son duo dismissed by the same bowler. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc and South Africa’s off-spinner Simon Harmer are the other two bowlers who dismissed Shivnarine and Tagenarine.

Ashwin also became the third Indian bowler after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to bag 700 hundred plus victims in the international format.