Ravichandran Ashwin equals MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev with stellar ton on Day 1 of 1st IND vs BAN 2024 Test
Team India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has joined former captains MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev on the list of Indian batters with most Test hundreds at home while batting at No. 7 or lower. Dhoni and Kapil notched up four three-figure scores while batting at No. 7 or lower in Test matches in India. On Saturday, Ashwin also hit his fourth Test ton at home while batting at No. 7 or lower.
The seasoned Tamil Nadu cricketer, who recently turned 38, scored an unbeaten 102 off 112 balls on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, September 19. The knock featured 10 fours and two sixes as Team India reached 339-6 by stumps on Day 1 of the Chepauk Test after being asked to bat first.
During the course of his excellent innings, the local boy featured in an unbroken 195-run stand for the seventh wicket with fellow all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (86* off 117). Thanks to the brilliant partnership, India made a strong comeback after being reduced to 144-6 in the second session of play.
Ashwin's ton on Thursday was his second successive Test century at Chepauk. In Team India's previous Test at the venue against England in February 2021, the right-handed batter scored 106 off 148 balls in the second innings. The lower-order batter also notched up 103 against West Indies in Mumbai in November 2011 and 124 against the same opposition in Kolkata in November 2013.
Dhoni and Kapil's home Test tons while batting at No. 7 or lower
Dhoni scored 110 against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad in November 2009, coming into bat at No. 7. Dhoni also hit 100* against the same opposition from the No. 7 position in Mumbai (Brabourne) in December 2009. The former India captain struck 132* against South Africa in Kolkata in February 2010, batting at No. 8. From the same number, he hit 144 against West Indies in Kolkata in November 2011.
Looking at Kapil's stats, he slammed 116 off 98 balls against England in Kanpur in January 1982 after walking in at No. 8. He scored three Test tons in India while batting at No. 7 - 119 vs Australia in Chennai (September 1986), 163 vs Sri Lanka in Kanpur (December 1986) and 109 vs West Indies in Chennai (January 1988).