Ravichandran Ashwin picked up five wickets in the second innings of the fifth India vs England Test 2024 to fetch the Indian cricket team a victory by an innings and 64 runs at Dharamshala on Saturday.
This was Ashwin’s 36th fifer, making him the new record holder for most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket for India.
The Indian off-spinner broke the previous record set by Anil Kumble, who had 35 fifers in 132 Tests. Ashwin picked his 36th five-wicket haul in his 100th Test.
India won the series 4-1 as Ashwin ended with a match haul of 9/128 in Dharamshala.
“Very happy, can’t really put a wrapper on how I’m feeling,” Ashwin said. “A lot has happened, a lot of talk about the 100th Test. Overwhelmed, a lot of well-wishers have come forward. Win the Test and take wickets, what more can a bowler ask for?”
Ashwin is now one of four bowlers to have picked up a fifer in their 100th Test match after Shane Warne (vs South Africa, 2002), Anil Kumble (vs Sri Lanka, 2005) and Muttiah Muralitharan (vs Bangladesh, 2006).
The 37-year-old Ashwin now sits fourth in the list of leading five-wicket hauls in Tests. He has as many fifers as Sir Richard Hadlee, who reached the mark in just 86 matches.
Ashwin is also just one shy of another Royal, Shane Warne. Muttiah Muralitharan leads the chart with 67.
Most five-wicket hauls in Test
| No. | Player | 5 wickets in an innings | Matches |
| 1 | Muthiah Muralidaran | 67 | 133 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | 37 | 145 |
| 3 | Richard Hadlee | 36 | 86 |
| 4 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 36 | 100 |
| 5 | Anil Kumble | 35 | 132 |
Most five-wicket hauls in Test for India
| No. | Player | 5 wickets in an innings | Matches |
| 1 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 36 | 100 |
| 2 | Anil Kumble | 35 | 132 |
| 3 | Harbhajan Singh | 25 | 103 |
| 4 | Kapil Dev | 23 | 131 |
| 5 | Bhagwath Chandrashekhar | 16 | 58 |
Ashwin, the milestone man
It has been an eventful series for Ashwin who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. He had entered the 500-wicket club in the third India vs England Test at Rajkot, becoming only the ninth bowler in the history of the game to do so. Ashwin also became the 14th player to represent India in a century of Tests at the start of the match in Dharamshala.
With this five-wicket haul, Ashwin now has 114 wickets against England, his joint-most against an opposition, along with Australia, in Tests. He has been equally adept with the bat too, with a double of 1000 runs and 100 Test wickets against the Three Lions. This is only the seventh instance of a player achieving this with Ashwin being the only active cricketer in the list.
Ashwin finished as the leading wicket-taker in the India vs England 2024 Test series with 26 scalps. He stands fourth for most wickets in this World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with 42. The Australian pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins who stand ahead, have all played more matches than him.
