Ashwin’s Magic: Leading wicket-taker in IND vs ENG Test Series!

India wrapped up a convincing 4-1 victory against England in the recently concluded Test series. The final Test in Dharamsala saw them demolish England by an innings and 64 runs, completing the win inside just three days!

India started off a bit shaky, losing the opening Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs. However, they bounced back in style, winning the next four Tests convincingly. They thrashed England by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam, 434 runs in Rajkot, and 5 wickets in Ranchi.

The finale in Dharamsala showcased some top-notch performances from the Indian team. Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front, while veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, celebrating his 100th Test, took a staggering nine wickets. Ashwin became the fastest Indian bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket as he took only 98 Tests to reach the landmark. He reached the milestone of 500 wickets during the India vs England 3rd Test in Rajkot on Friday (February 16). Zak Crawley was R Ashwin’s 500th wicket in Test cricket.

Ashwin became the fastest Indian bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket as he took only 98 Tests to reach the landmark. He reached the milestone of 500 wickets during the India vs England 3rd Test in Rajkot on Friday (February 16). Zak Crawley was R Ashwin’s 500th wicket in Test cricket.

Ashwin, India’s spin maestro and arguably India’s best Test bowler, emerged as the series’ leading wicket-taker with 26 wickets in five matches. England spinner Tom Hartley came in second with 22 wickets, while India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the fourth Test, finished third with 19 wickets in four games.

In the opening Test at Hyderabad, Ashwin shared the hauls equally between both innings, claiming three wickets each. He dismissed Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, along with fast bowler Mark Wood, in the first innings. He continued his good form in the second innings, picking up the crucial wickets of Crawley again, Ben Stokes, and Tom Hartley.

The second Test in Visakhapatnam saw Ashwin take all his three wickets in the England second innings. He dismissed Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root.

The third Test in Rajkot was a low-scoring affair, and Ashwin could only manage one wicket in each innings. He dismissed Zak Crawley once again in the first innings, and Tom Hartley in the second.

The Ranchi Test, the fourth in the series, saw Ashwin take just one wicket in the England first innings, dismissing Jonny Bairstow. However, he came alive in the second innings, grabbing a fifer.  This crucial spell included the wickets of Duckett, Pope, Root, Ben Foakes, and veteran pacer James Anderson.

Finally, in the series finale at Dharamsala, Ashwin continued his impressive bowling, taking four wickets in the first innings. This time, he dismissed Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Ben Foakes, and James Anderson. He saved the best for last, though. In a match-winning bowling performance in the second innings, Ashwin picked up another fifer, dismissing Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Ben Stokes, and Foakes once more. This remarkable bowling display cemented his position as the leading wicket-taker of the series.

 

Here’s a quick breakdown of Ashwin’s wicket haul throughout the series:

Test No	Inning	Wickets	Players
01	1st	3	Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Mark Wood
	2nd	3	Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes and Tom Hartley
02	2nd	3	Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root
03	1st	1	Crawley
	2nd	1	Hartley
04	1st	1	Johnny Bairstow
	2nd	5	Duckett, Pope, Root, Foakes and Anderson
05	1st	4	Hartley, Wood, Foakes and Anderson
	2nd	5	Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Stokes and Foakes

 

This dominant performance by India extends their incredible home record in Test cricket, while England will be looking to regroup and improve their performance in future tours.

 

Top 5 leading wicket-takers in the IND vs ENG five-match test series 2024:

PLAYER	COUNTRY	WICKETS
Ravichandran Ashwin	India	26
Tom Hartley	England	22
Jasprit Bumrah	India	19
Ravindra Jadeja	India	19
Kuldeep Yadav	India	19