Spin maestro Ashwin produced a hostile spell of bowling to bag his 31st fifer in Test cricket, wreaking havoc on the Australian top order. India, courtesy of Ashwin’s spin artistry, forged a lead of 223 runs on Day 3 of the opening Test. As he turned the ball phenomenally, Australia knew they had a tough task ahead, with Ashwin spinning his way to five for 37 and reaching 31 five-wicket hauls in the process.

All through his career Ashwin has been a cricket nerd with a deep appreciation of the nuances of the game and an acute knowledge of his craft. As Ashwin spinned India into ascendancy over Australia, his careful partnership with Rohit Sharma also made him a bankable all-rounder, offering all that was required of him to keep the runs flowing on the other end.

Ashwin provided the first breakthrough with the dismissal of Usman Khawaja and went on to trap David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Alex Carey to complete another breathtaking five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Aswhin’s spin wizardry is the peak of a mountain that the Aussies are yet to conquer in the ongoing series. 

Interestingly as per the stats, Ashwin’s 31st fifer remains the seventh-most in the history of the game’s longest format and second-highest after England’s James Anderson in the list of active cricketers. About 25 of his Test wickets came on home shores, which also puts him at par with legendary Anil Kumble as the Indian duo is the joint-third after Sri Lankan spinners Muttiah Muralidaran and Rangana Herath.

Another significant development is Ashwin’s 31st five-wicket haul elevated his tally of wickets at home to a massive 320, only one wicket shy of Australia legend Shane Warne, and fifth-best overall. About 97 of his career wickets mostly originated in India vs Australia Test encounters, which is also now the second-highest after Kumble’s impressive tally of 111.