R Ashwin with most Test five-wicket hauls among active players; claims more records

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin put another feather in his cap on Wednesday, becoming the holder of the highest number of five-wicket hauls in Test cricket among active players.

Ashwin claimed the record in an inspired performance in India’s first match against West Indies at the Windsor Park stadium in Dominica.

Ashwin, who is number one in ICC’s Test bowler rankings, destroyed the West Indies batting lineup, ending the match with the figure of 5 for 60 in 24.3 overs. This innings took his five-wicket haul in Test cricket to 33, overtaking England’s James Anderson – who has 32 – to become the highest five-wicket haul tally among active cricketers.

The bowler who has the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket is Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has a total of 67. Australian spinner Shane Warne is in second position – albeit way behind Muralitharan – with 37 five-wicket hauls. The rest, in order, are New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee (36), Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble (35), and Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (34). Ashwin, with his 33 hauls, comes sixth in the all-time ranking.

With his latest performance, Ashwin now has five five-wicket hauls in West Indies-India Test matches, which is the second-highest tally in the competition – tied with Harbhajan Singh (5), and behind Windies’ Malcolm Marshall (6).

Ashwin breaks records with WI performance; claims 700 wickets

Ashwin’s performance in the first Test match against West Indies was record-breaking in every sense, and he clinched the record of being the first Indian cricketer to dismiss a father-son cricketing duo in Test cricket.

On the first Test match against West Indies, Ashwin dismissed Tagnarine Chanderpaul at 12 (44), knocking off his stumps with a turning delivery.

Ashwin had previously taken the wicket of Tagnarine’s father Shivnarine Chanderpaul – that too in his debut Test match in 2011.

With this, he becomes the fifth cricketer – and only Indian – to dismiss both a father and son in Test cricket, the others being England’s Ian Botham, Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, and Australia’s Mitchell Starc and Simon Harmer.

Ashwin also took his total international wickets tally to 700, becoming only the third Indian cricketer to achieve the feat.