Ravichandran Ashwin's top 3 Test bowling performances at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Team India's seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has had a disappointing Test series against New Zealand at home. In two matches, he has only managed six wickets at an average of 43.50, having bowled 67 overs. Washington Sundar needed only one game to surpass Ashwin's tally as the young off-spinner picked up 11 scalps in the Pune Test.
In the first Test against the Kiwis at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Ashwin registered figures of 1-94 & 0-6. In the second Test held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, the 38-year-old claimed 3-64 in the first innings and 2-97 in the second.
While India have already conceded the series, they will be desperate to win the third and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which begins on November 1. The hosts will hope for a much more improved effort from their veteran spinner. In five Tests in Mumbai, the Tamil Nadu cricketer has claimed 38 wickets at an average of 18.42, with three five-fers.
Ahead of the third India vs New Zealand Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, we recap three of Ashwin's best Test performances at the venue.
#3 (5-156 & 4-34) vs West Indies - November 2011
Ashwin had a fantastic debut series against West Indies at home in November 2011. He was the Player of the Series for claiming 22 wickets as the hosts won the three-match series 2-0. The off-spinner was the Player of the Match in the third Test in Mumbai. He claimed nine wickets and scored a hundred in a draw.
After the West Indies batter first on winning the toss, Ashwin toiled hard in the first innings for his 5-156, which came off 52.1 overs. He dismissed the openers Adrian Barath (62) and Kraigg Brathwaite (68), but not before they had added 137. The spinner could not make much impact after that but picked up the last three wickets to fall to complete a hard-earned five-fer even as the Windies posted 590.
India responded with 482 as Ashwin himself top-scored with 103 off 118 balls. Ashwin proved more effective in the second essay, registering figures of 4-34. This time he picked up the last four wickets to fall, which included that of opposition skipper Daren Sammy, as West Indies folded up for 134. Chasing a target of 243, India finished on 242-9 as the game ended in a thrilling draw.
#2 (4-8 & 4-34) vs New Zealand - December 2021
Ashwin would take some confidence from a memorable Test when India and New Zealand met at the Wankhede Stadium in December 2021. The seasoned spinner claimed four wickets in each innings India thumped the Kiiws by a margin of 372 runs.
Batting first, India posted 352 on the back of Mayank Agarwal's 150 even as Ajaz Patel ended up claiming all 10 wickets for New Zealand. Ashwin, however, produced fantastic figures of 4-8 from eight overs as the Kiwis were bundled out for 62. The off-spinner knocked over Henry Nicholls (7) and went on to add the scalps of Tom Blundell (8), Tim Southee (0) and William Somerville (0).
After India set New Zealand a mammoth target of 540, Ashwin starred with another four-fer as the visitors were bowled out for 167 in 56.3 overs. The off-spinner trapped Tom Latham (6) lbw with a slider and then had Will Young (20) caught at short leg. He also added the scalp of Ross Taylor (6) before dismissing Nicholls (44) for the second time in the match, getting him stumped with a flighted delivery.
#1 (6-112 & 6-55) vs England - December 2016
Ashwin starred with 12 wickets as India thumped England by an innings and 36 runs in Mumbai in December 2016. In the fourth Test of the five-match series, England batted first after winning the toss and posted 400 on the board. The visitors could have scored a lot more but for Ashwin's six-wicket haul.
The Tamil Nadu spinner dismissed Joe Root (21), having hit caught at slip. He also dismissed Moeen Ali (50), inducing a top-edge off a sweep. Ashwin ended Keaton Jennings' resistance for 112 as the England opener was caught at deep gully. Jonny Bairstow (14), Ben Stokes (31), and Jake Ball (31) also fell to the spinner's guile as India kept chipping away.
The hosts replied with 631 on the back of Virat Kohli's 235 and hundreds from Murali Vijay and Jayant Yadav. Ashwin then ran through England in their second innings, picking up 6-55 in 20.3 overs as the visitors were bowled out for 195. He picked up the last six scalps in England's second innings to bowl India to victory.
The off-spinner had Stokes (18) caught at second slip as the England batter lobbed a reverse sweep to the fielder off his boot. Ball was caught behind for two, while Bairstow was trapped leg before for 51. Ashwin proved too good for England's lower as India registered another comprehensive home triumph.