Ashwin becomes oldest Indian to pick up a 5-wicket haul in Tests

History has been scripted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai as Ravichandran Ashwin, at the age of 38 years and 5 days, has become the oldest ever Indian to pick a five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Ashwin broke a 69-year-old record as Vinoo Mankad in 1955, at 37 years and 306 days, and was previously the oldest Indian to take a five-wicket haul in Tests. 

Ashwin set the record on the fourth day of the ongoing Test after dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz. 

He had picked up three wickets on Day 3 and picked his 37th 5-wicket haul in Tests on the fourth day by dismissing Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy. 

With the five-wicket haul, Ashwin is now level with Shane Warne for the most fifers in Test history. Only Muttiah Muralitharan (67) has now taken more fifers in Tests than the 38-year-old, who has gone past Richard Hadlee, who had 36 fifers to his name in Tests.

Ashwin has also become the third bowler after Muralitharan and Rangana Herath to pick up 20+ five-wicket hauls in the second innings of Tests.

This is also the fourth time Ashwin has scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test. Only Sir Ian Botham (5) has achieved this rare feat more times than the 38-year-old in Tests. No other cricketer has achieved the feat more than twice. 

Notably, Ashwin is the first cricketer to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test at a particular venue twice. In 2021 against England in Chennai, the all-rounder scored 106 with the bat in India’s second innings and took 5/43 with the ball in England’s first innings. 

Here, the right-hander smashed 113 with the bat on Day 1 after walking in at 144/6. 

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