Ravichandran Ashwin registered his 5th test hundred on a spinner friendly track in Chennai during the second test. R Ashwin's hundred comes after several former cricketers, including Mark Waugh and Michael Vaughan, slammed the Chennai pitch, calling it "unacceptable at Test match level". There were cricketers and pundits who defended the pitch as well but there was more criticism, especially from England as the MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch started assisting spinners from Day 1. Ashwin counter-attacked the English bowlers with his aggressive brand of cricket.
Earlier on Day 2, Ashwin was the star of the day as the off-spinner picked up his 29th 5-wicket haul to rattle the England batting unit. The experienced off-spinner on Sunday became the first bowler in Test history to dismiss 200 left-handed batsmen. Ashwin achieved the feat when he castled England’s No. 11 Stuart Broad. It is a stunning achievement and behind Ashwin in scalping left-handers are Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan (191), and England’s James Anderson (190).Ashwin, on Sunday, equalled Glenn McGrath’s record of 29 five-wicket innings hauls in Tests. Both are jointly in seventh place. Ashwin has, after the England first innings, 268 home wickets in 45 home Tests at a healthy 22.54. And in 31 away Tests, he has 124 scalps at a creditable 31.18. The Chennai lad is definitely relishing his time at home.
