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Man of the Series Ravichandran Ashwin trolls Sanjay Manjrekar after gaffe during presentation ceremony

Ravichandran Ashwin knows his own records, and he corrects others about them too

India finally managed to defeat South Africa on the fifth and final day on the 4th Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi, after a day of defiance and patience seldom seen in the modern era, by 337 runs.

Ravi Ashwin was in the thick of the action yet again, picking up five wickets in the South African second innings, taking his tally of wickets in the series to 31 – yet another stupendous performance.

Playing in only his 12th Test series, Ashwin picked up his fifth Man of the Series award at the end of the 4th Test, and as seen from his conversation with commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, this is a record he holds close to heart.

After Manjrekar suggested that Ashwin had won four Man of the Series awards, and had one more to win before matching up to the India record, Ashwin corrected him, informing Manjrekar that he already had scaled the record – leaving Manjrekar a little red-faced.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have also won five Man of the Series awards, but in 38 and 74 series respectively – something to put Ashwin’s 12 series into perspective.

Massive support from Jadeja: Ashwin

Ashwin also had wholesome praise for the rest of the India bowlers, praising Umesh Yadav’s three wickets on the final day, and also saying about Ravindra Jadeja – “There was a massive support from Jadeja, he hits the stumps so often.”

He offered a wry smile when Manjrekar pointed out in conclusion that he had narrowly pipped Ravindra Jadeja for the Man of the Series award, who finished the series with 23 scalps.

In the last 6 Test series that India have won, Ashwin has been the Man of the Series 5 times – another piece of statistics that proves how vital he is to the national team. Also, Ashwin has more 'Man of the Series' awards (5) than 'Man of the Match' awards (4) in his four-year Test career.

In a touching gesture, Ashwin also dedicated his Man of the Series award to the people affected by the Chennai floods.

Incidentally, Ashwin has also scored more runs in this series than South African captain Hashim Amla.

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