India vs Australia 2017: R Ashwin becomes highest wicket-taker for India in a home Test season

India vs Australia 2017: R Ashwin becomes highest wicket-taker for India in a home Test season

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood’s last wicket partnership that must have been the source of some frustration for the Indians was broken on Day 2 by Ravichandran Ashwin. Unlike Day 1, in which Starc added 51 in the last 45 minutes and Hazlewood managed a single run, The former didn’t last Ashwin’s first over, thus putting a target of 260 runs for India to overpower.

In the process, Ashwin picked his 64th wicket since the beginning of the New Zealand series in October 2016. It is the most wickets that any Indian bowler had taken in a single home season. Ashwin was level with former

Indian captain Kapil Dev before picking the scalp of Mitchell Starc. He has also bettered his own record in the 2012-13 home season. At the time, that was the second highest wickets taken ahead of coach Anil Kumble’s record in 2004-05. Ravindra Jadeja also has had a brilliant season so far and behind Anil Kumble in the list with 48 wickets.Ashwin, Jadeja and captain Virat Kohli have been three of the most consistent performers for India this home season. Ashwin, with his pedigree for running down batting line ups, became the fastest bowler to get to 250 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja on the other hand has played the perfect second fiddle to Ashwin and has stepped up whenever the latter has had an off day, such as in the Chennai Test against England. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has smashed multiple batting records and is the first captain to have scored four double centuries in a single home season.