Ravichandran Ashwin is at the threshold of donning his 100th Test cap as he is set to feature in the India vs England 5th Test in Dharamsala. The Indian spin maestro will become the 14th Indian to feature in 100 or plus Test matches ever since the Men in Blue played their first Test in 1932.
Ashwin is hailed as one of the best spinners of all time. His records speak volumes for that. The 37-year-old is the second-ever Indian with over 500 Test wickets. He has won the most Player of the Series awards for India - 10. Ashwin also has 35 Test fifers, joint most by an Indian.
However as he is set to take the field in his milestone game, Ashwin has recalled his best spells, which did not include any of the 35 fifers that he has taken in the format. Instead, he named three spells in which he did not pick a five-for.
All the three dates back to 2017 and 2018. The first was in the 2017 Bengaluru Test against Australia. India already had lost the first Test and were bowled out for 189 in the first innings of the second Test. Ashwin picked his first innings spell of 49-13-84-2 as one of his best spells despite picking a six-for in the second innings.
The other two followed the next year - one in Centurion and the other in Edgbaston later in 2018. He picked 3 for 59 in the Edgbaston Test and 4/133 in Centurion.
"When you finish, it is Test wins that stand really tall. But having given it a lot of thought, one of the finest spells I have bowled has to be the one in Birmingham in 2018. I got three wickets on the morning of day three. I got Cook, Root, and Jennings. I got seven wickets in the game. I felt like I had almost bowled India to victory in the game, but it didn't happen. That has to be one of the finest spells I have bowled," he said upon being asked about his best spells.
"A Test in Bangalore where I bowled a spell on day two morning not for many rewards. And day one at Centurion in 2018 again against South Africa. I got a four-for. It could have been six or seven but it didn't happen. That was a good spell. Those are three spells that will stand out. There are several five-fors and wins that have happened over the years, but these are the spells I will remember for how [the ball] came out of the hand, what it meant personally, " he added.
Ashwin gears up for the 5th Test as India head into the contest with an unassailable lead of 3-1. A 4-1 would be a dream end for Ashwin and India
