India had a perfect start to their second innings with the ball as premier spinner R Ashwin dismissed England opening batsman Rory Burns off the first ball of the innings. Ashwin, coming round the wicket, generated extra bounce, and as Burns tried to prod at it, the ball took the edge of his bat and went straight to Ajinkya Rahane at slips.
With that, Ashwin achieved a feat to be mighty proud of. The India spinner, with his dismissal of Burns, became the first spinner in more than 100 years to get a wicket off the first ball of an innings. Before him, it was South African cricketer Bert Vogler to do so in 1907. The first spinner ever to pick up a wicket off the first ball of an innings was former England bowler Bobby Peel in 1888, making Ashwin the spinner to do so.
In the first innings, Ashwin had claimed 3/146 including the wickets of Burns, Ollie Pope and James Anderson. During his spell, Ashwin bowled the first-ever no-ball of his Test career. Yes, the off-spinner had gone more than 20,600 balls before overstepping in Test cricket, but the impressive run came to an end in the 137th over when he went over the line. Ashwin ended up bowling another no ball almost 40 overs later.
During the first innings, Ashwin also bowled the longest in an innings of a Test match for India. Ashwin bowled a total of 55.1 overs, overtaking the 53 overs he had bowled against Australia during the Adelaide Test of 2011/12.
{{/usCountry}}During the first innings, Ashwin also bowled the longest in an innings of a Test match for India. Ashwin bowled a total of 55.1 overs, overtaking the 53 overs he had bowled against Australia during the Adelaide Test of 2011/12.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier on Day 4, with the bat, Ashwin and Washington Sundar stretched India's resilience to put on 80 runs for the seventh wicket. Ashwin hit three fours and six to score 31 off 91 balls before becoming the first Indian wicket to fall Monday. Ashwin was out bat pad off the bowling of Jack Leach, giving the left-arm spinner his first wicket of the innings.