Ashwin’s fifer gives India control over second Test against England
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed a five-wicket as India busted the initial England resistance to bowl them out for 255 and take a huge 200-run lead on the third day of the second cricket Test, here on Saturday.
Ashwin (5/67) faced some testing time in the morning but with his maiden fifer against England, he now has five-wicket milestone against all the Test countries he has played with — six against New Zealand, four each against Australia, South Africa and West Indies, two against Sri Lanka and one each against Bangladesh and England.
It was Ashwin’s 22nd five-wicket haul from 41 Tests and now has 52 wickets in the 2016 calendar year.
India were eight for no loss with Murali Vijay batting on three alongwith KL Rahul (1) at tea.
Resuming at 103 for five, England resisted well in the morning with Ben Stokes (70) leading the way in a 110-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow (53) who batted brilliantly despite a troubled ankle.
It was paceman Umesh Yadav who broke the stand by castling Bairstow with a full-length ball while Ashwin got rid of Stokes.
Stokes prodded forward and was adjudged leg-before. Not giving up, the lef-thander went for a review as he was adjudged trapped LBW, something that looked to have instilled confidence in the off-spinner who bowled without any success this morning.
The pitch looked like a worn-out leather but Ashwin had to wait for his first wicket till the 11th over of his day but the breakthrough of Stokes virtually opened the gate for India as Ravindra Jadeja bowled Zafar Ansari (4) at the other end before the offspinner trapped Stuart Board (13) and James Anderson (0) LBW off successive deliveries.
