On Sunday (September 22), in a two-match series between India and Bangladesh, India won the first Test by 280 runs. The match which was played in Chennai at MA Chidambaram Stadium saw a victory for the Rohit Sharma-led team when they bundled out Najmul Hossain Shanto & Co. in second innings for 234 runs after setting them a target of 515 runs to win the game. Ravichandran Ashwin, who is ranked as the world’s number one Test bowler, took six wickets for India while Ravindra Jadeja got rid of three batsmen from Bangladesh.
Ashwin, who is 38 years and 5 days old, created history by taking five wickets in a Test match at this age and thus became the oldest Indian cricketer to achieve this feat. He has surpassed Vinoo Mankad’s record who had taken five wickets in one given innings against Pakistan in Peshawar Test (1955) at the age of 37 years and 306 days.
Besides his superlative display with the ball, Ashwin also scored a century in Chennai Test first innings. He made a top score for India scoring a total of 113 runs off 133 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes hitting them away across the rope. With this century and five-wicket haul during the series opener against Bangladesh, Ashwin broke Polly Umrigar’s 62-year-old record thereby becoming the oldest Indian cricketer ever achieved this milestone in test cricket
Umrigar was only thirty six years old in 1962, on the seventh day of his age; and during this match he made 172 runs not out and bagged five wickets scoring 107 runs in the first inning.
Additionally, Ashwin’s knock of 113 with an innings bowling figure of six for 88 made him the first global centurion to achieve a five-wicket haul on a similar pitch. Similarly, in his last Test at Chepauk stadium that was against England in February 2021, Ashwin scored 106 runs and dismissed five batters for 43 runs trapping India’s victory.
Four instances of Ashwin scoring a century and taking five wickets in the same Test have occurred so far. The only player who has achieved this feat more than four times is an ex-England all-rounder and captain Ian Botham.
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