Renowned Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made history during the first Test against England in Hyderabad by dismissing Ben Stokes for the 12th time in Tests. This achievement has now equaled the record set by former Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev for an Indian bowler dismissing a batsman most frequently in Test cricket, as per Cricbuzz reports. Kapil Dev had accomplished this feat by dismissing Mudassar Nazar 12 times.
Ashwin's latest dismissal of Stokes places him in an elite list alongside Kapil Dev and Ishant Sharma, who had dismissed Alastair Cook 11 times. Ashwin, notably, is the only spinner among the trio. He had previously dismissed Australia's David Warner 11 times in Test cricket.
In the ongoing Test match, Stokes struggled against Ashwin's spin, averaging just 19.33 across 25 innings. Ashwin has successfully removed Stokes 10 times at home, where the English batsman has managed 183 runs at an average of 18.30.
Stokes came to the crease when England was at 140/4, but his innings was short-lived as Ashwin's delivery drew him forward, turned past the outside edge, and crashed onto the stumps. With Stokes's dismissal, England found themselves at 163/5.
In the broader context of the first Test, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja's three-wicket hauls helped India dominate England in the first innings. Despite Stokes's resilient half-century, England was bowled out for 246. In response, India posted a substantial total of 436, with Jadeja contributing 87 runs and KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring 80-plus each. England, in their second innings, is trailing India and has lost half their side.
