Making a remarkable comeback to form, India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed the initial two wickets in England’s second innings during the Ranchi Test. The victims were opener Ben Duckett and No. 3 Ollie Pope, both falling on consecutive deliveries.
Duckett departed first, scoring a brisk 15 runs. Despite early boundaries with laps and reverse sweeps against the spinners, he succumbed to a quicker delivery on the middle and leg stump from Ashwin.
Attempting to defend on the leg side, Duckett faced a higher bounce than expected, causing the ball to hit the sticker of his bat and pop up for a straightforward catch to Sarfaraz Khan at forward short leg.
You can watch the dismissal video here:
https://www.bcci.tv/bccilink/videos/iLuTj6OE
Pope, who played a crucial role for England with a superb century in the first Test, was dismissed for a golden duck by another Ashwin slider.
Anticipating turn, the right-handed batsman was deceived as the ball went straight quickly from length, hitting him on the back foot. Despite Pope opting for a review, the decision stayed with ‘umpire’s call’ on impact.
You can watch here:
https://www.bcci.tv/bccilink/videos/rj99O40q
After a considerable time, Rohit Sharma reinstated his trust in Ashwin to open the bowling, a role the off-spinner was previously recognized for but hadn’t been assigned much in the first three Tests.
This decision proved fruitful, as Ashwin quickly made an impact and dominated the opposition. This move likely served as a significant confidence boost for Ashwin, particularly amid criticism questioning his usual effectiveness in a home Test series.
Ashwin claims the most wickets in Test matches on Indian soil
Ashwin secured his 350th and 351st wickets in Test matches in India, establishing himself as the highest wicket-taker in the format in the country. Achieving this milestone in his 59th Test, he surpassed Anil Kumble, who had taken 350 wickets from 64 matches in India.
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