Australia have been left in tatters. In their chase of India's first-innings lead of 223, Australia are falling like nine pins with the spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja doing the damage. Jadeja picked his 11th five-wicket haul in the first innings. It was time for Ashwin to hog the limelight in the second innings as he ran through the Aussie line-up to pick his 31st five-wicket haul. And with that, he equalled India legend Anil Kumble's spectacular Test record and went past Harbhajan Singh's elusive tally. (India vs Australia Live Score 1st Test Day 3)
Unlike in the first innings, where the new-ball pair of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj opened the gates before Jadeja crumbled the middle-order, Ashwin single-handedly ran riot over Australia's top-order. He provided the first breakthrough, with the dismissal of Usman Khawaja and then in regular intervals struck to remove David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Alex Carey. Four of those batters have been dismissed leg-before wicket.
It was Ashwin's 31st five-wicket haul, which remains the seventh-most in Test history and second-highest after England James Anderson (32) among active cricketers. 25 of them came on home soil, which put him at par with Kumble as the Indian duo stand joint third after two Sri Lankan spinners in Muttiah Muralidaran (45) and Rangana Herath (26).
The five-wicket haul also took Ashwin's tally of wickets at home to 320, one more than Australia legend Shane Warne, and fifth-best overall. 97 of his career wickets came in the rivalry between India and Australia in Tests, which is now the second highest after Kumble's tally of 111. Ashwin went past Harbhajan and Nathan Lyon (95).
{{/usCountry}}The five-wicket haul also took Ashwin's tally of wickets at home to 320, one more than Australia legend Shane Warne, and fifth-best overall. 97 of his career wickets came in the rivalry between India and Australia in Tests, which is now the second highest after Kumble's tally of 111. Ashwin went past Harbhajan and Nathan Lyon (95).
{{/usCountry}}