WATCH: Ravi Ashwin cleans up Chanderpaul with a beauty, nabs two wickets in the first session
Ravichandran Ashwin’s omission from India’s playing XI at the World Test Championship Final was a pertinent question asked those who saw Rohit Sharma and Co being bested Pat Cummins’ Australia at The Oval.
The off-spinner, who has been India’s leading wicket taker in the format across the last two WTC cycles, and had been the player of the 2023 Border Gavaskar series at home earlier this year.
When nothing happened, we ‘turned’ to Ashwin!.
.#INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/wwPuS1QZG2
— FanCode (@FanCode) July 12, 2023
Ashwin would once again prove his worth come the first day of the 2023/25 WTC cycle as he removed both the West Indies openers in the first session at Windsor Park, Roseau as India managed to keep the hosts at 68/4 after 28 overs till Lunch.
His first wicket, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, was a piece of magic from the offie as he tossed one down the middle from round the wicket – trapping the southpaw into a forward press – only to drift it away upon pitching and cleaning the stumps behind.
With the scalp, Ashwin became only the fifth bowler to nab a father-son duo in Test cricket – having removed Shivnarine Chanderpaul in 2011 – alongside Ian Botham, Wasim Akram, Mitchell Starc and Simon Harper.
Ashwin’s second dismissal was that of the Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, who played one across the line, edging the ball to his Indian counterpart Rohit Sharma at slip.
Among India’s other wicket takers were Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja, who was the other spinner apart from the three seamers on offer in India’s bowling attack for the Test.
