Ravichandra Ashwin yet again became India's savior and helped India to make a late comeback on Day 2 of the fourth Test against Australia at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (March 10). The ace India spinner brought his A game to the fore and took a six-fer to bundle out Australia for 480. Ashwin, who finished with 6/91, delivered when India needed him the most. India saw a 60-over wicketless session and just when frustration started to creep in, Ashwin staged a stunning show and took flurry of wickets to halt Australia's dominant show in the first innings.
Ashwin's first gave the marching orders to Cameron Green, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc in a span of five overs to reduce Australia to 409/7 at tea. He didn't stop there as he returned to dismiss Todd Murphy to bag his 32nd five-for in Tests and then topped it up with Nathan Lyon's wicket.
Riding on his incredible spell, Ashwin shattered legendary Anil Kumble's record for the most five-wicket-hauls by an India bowler at home. While Kumble took 25 fifer at home, Ashwin has 26 five-wicket hauls on Indian soil. Ashwin reached the milestone on his 55th Test at home (92nd overall), eight quicker than Kumble, who did it in his 63rd Test on Indian soil. Ashwin triggered India's comeback in the 131st over of the innings. Ashwin broke the crucial 208-run partnership of Green and Khawaja which frustrated Indian for the longest time. In an attempt to sweep Ashwin, Green landed the ball in KS Bharat's gloves and thus took the longest walk towards pavilion. Three balls later, Ashwin dismissed Alex Carey holed out to Axar Patel.
Ashwin then sent Mitchell Starc packing. However, the 70-run ninth wicket partnership between Murphy and Nathan Lyon frustrated India the most. But the savior Ashwin was again at his spin best and dismissed the duo to wrap up Australia's innings. With this Ashwin bagged second five-wicket-haul of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series after his 5/37 in the first Test in Nagpur.
Ashwin didn't stop here as he clicked on yet another milestone. He now holds the record for the second-highest five-wicket hauls at home behind Muttiah Muralitharan, who has achieved this feat 45 times. Ashwin is tied with another Sri Lanka spin great Rangana Herath, who too picked up five wickets in an innings on 26 times at home. Also, Ashwin's 6/91 also brings his level pecking with England legend James Anderson as the two players with 32-five-wicket-hauls in Tests – the joint sixth-highest. Besides, Ashwin also became the leading Indian wicket-taker against Australia in Tests, also going past Kumble and is currently stands as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy along with Nathan Lyon with 113 wickets.
