Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja demonstrated an outstanding performance in the inaugural session of the India-England Test series opening day.
The Indian cricket team marked its comeback to the Test format against England in Hyderabad on Thursday, with English captain Ben Stokes opting to bat after winning the toss. The pitch, favoring significant turn, led both teams to field three frontline spinners. Initially starting with pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, India, led by Rohit Sharma, made a strategic switch to spinners after the ninth over. Despite England’s assertive beginning, they encountered setbacks as the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja wreaked havoc on the top order, resulting in the loss of three quick wickets.
Ashwin and Jadeja’s Milestone Moment
Ashwin secured two wickets, while Jadeja dismissed no.3 batter Ollie Pope. The legendary Indian spin pair achieved a milestone, surpassing the wicket-taking record of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, now holding the top position among the highest Test wicket-taking duos in India.
Prior to the Test, Ashwin and Jadeja were trailing the former spin twins by just one wicket in their count of 503 wickets. The third position on the list also features Harbhajan Singh, who claimed 474 wickets alongside pacer Zaheer Khan.
In the broader context of international cricket, the English duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad holds the record for the most wickets, boasting 1039 dismissals. Broad retired from all forms of international cricket post the Ashes in 2023. Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne stand as the only other pair with over a thousand wickets (1001) in Test cricket.
Following the top-order collapse in the initial session, England’s Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow endeavored to rebuild the innings, steering the team to 108/3 at Lunch. However, both batsmen faced dismissal shortly after the resumption of play, with Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja claiming the two crucial wickets.
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