Indian star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin added yet another remarkable feat to his name on Friday by becoming the highest wicket-taker in Tests played in Asia. Ashwin achieved this on the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur by sending Najmul Hossain Shanto back to the pavilion for 31 runs off 57 balls in the 29th over. On 420 wickets in Asia, Ashwin goes past Anil Kumble who had 419 on the list. Third is there Harbhajan Singh with 300 wickets in the region. Ashwin made his Test cricket debut against the West Indies in 2011 and has picked up 522 wickets in 101 matches and 191 innings thus far.
India, leading the two-match Test series 1-0, obliged with a commanding 280-run victory in Chennai.
In the day’s play, India won the toss and decided to bowl first in this match. Zakir Hasan (0) and Shadman Islam (24), Bangladesh’s opening pair, could not at all have a great start as Indian pacer Akash Deep sent both of them back pretty soon. Mominul Haque (40*) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (31) took the team to 74/2 at the first session of play today.
The rain did not let the second session complete, and it delayed the game for a little while. Ashwin was the one who could break the hockey session as he picked up Bangladesh’s skipper at over no. 29. At stumps, Bangladesh was at 107/3 with Mominul Haque (40*) and Mushfiqur Rahim (6*) still in the pavilion after only 35 overs were played due to the weather.
Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (WK), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
