Ashwin the fastest to 100 Test wickets in over 80 years

Stats highlights from the first day's play of the second Test between India and West Indies in Mumbai

Shiva Jayaraman

14-Nov-2013

R Ashwin broke the double-century stand, India v England, 2nd Test, Mumbai, 2nd day, November 25, 2012

Darren Sammy's wicket in West Indies' first innings was R Ashwin's 100th in Tests. He has taken only 18 Tests to take these many wickets - the fastest bowler to the landmark since Clarrie Grimmett took 100 wickets in his 17th Test, against West Indies in 1931. Ashwin has taken two Tests less than Erapalli Prasanna, who was the previous fastest India bowler to 100 wickets in Tests. Prasanna got to the landmark in his 20th Test, against Australia in Delhi in 1969. Click here for a list of bowlers fastest to 100 wicket in Tests. Ashwin is also the fifth fastest to 100 wickets in terms of the number of days since debut. Ashwin has taken two years and eight days to achieve this feat. Kapil Dev was the fastest bowler to 100 wickets in terms of time: he took 100 wickets in one year and 105 days. Mitchell Johnson (1y, 250d), Graeme Swann (1y, 250d) and Ian Botham (2y, 5d) did it faster than Ashwin.

This was Pragyan Ojha's sixth five-wicket haul of his career and his third at Wankhede stadium. He joins Botham as the only other bowler to take the most five-wicket hauls at this venue. Ojha has now taken 26 wickets against West Indies - his highest against any team in Tests - at 22.26 runs apiece in five Tests.

MS Dhoni's catch off Ojha to dismiss Tino Best was his 250th dismissal in Tests. He has taken 79 Tests and 146 innings and is only the seventh wicketkeeper to achieve this. Adam Gilchrist was the fastest to 250 dismissals, having reached the landmark in 59 Tests and 117 innings. Mark Boucher (63 Tests, 120 innings), Rod Marsh (67 Tests, 128 innings), Ian Healy (74 Tests, 137 innings), Jeff Dujon (76 Tests, 145 innings) and Alan Knott (88 Tests, 164 innings) are the other wicketkeepers to collect 250 or more dismissals in Tests.

West Indies' last six wickets have averaged 11.38 in this series - the lowest they have averaged for their last seven wickets in any series in Tests. In 21 partnerships in this series they have scored 239 runs with the highest partnership of 43 coming today between Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

All of Ojha's six five-wicket hauls have come in matches in which Ashwin has also played. Bowling in these Tests, Ojha has taken 66 wickets at 25.36 in 25 innings. In 11 matches in which Ashwin has not played along with him, Ojha has taken 42 wickets at 40.40 with no five-wicket hauls. The stats are reasonably similar for Ashwin too. Matches in which Ojha has played with him, Ashwin has taken 73 wickets at 26.04 from 25 innings, including six five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul for the match. Ashwin's bowling figures in matches not involving Ojha are not as bereft of highlights as Ojha's without Ashwin, though. Ashwin has taken 27 wickets at 32.11 from nine innings, including three five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul for the match.

Sachin Tendulkar completed exactly 24 years in international cricket today. He had played his first international match against Pakistan in Karachi on 15th November 1989. He will end his Test career as the player to have had the fifth longest career ever.

Michael Clarke's 6 for 9 in 2003 started off a very productive spell for left-arm spinners at the Wankhede. Since then, including Clarke's spell, left-arm spinners have taken 42 wickets at an average of 17.83 in 14 innings, including six five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul for the match. In the same period, right-arm spinners have taken just three five-wicket hauls in 31 innings. Their 65 wickets at the venue have come at 26.18 runs apiece and at a strike rate of 52.8. Left-arm spinners, on the other hand, have struck more frequently, taking a wicket every 38.5 deliveries.

West Indies batsmen were all at sea against the India bowlers in their first innings. Of the 332 deliveries faced by them today, they were beaten or played bad shots on 77 deliveries, which is almost one in four balls (23%). In contrast, India's batsmen played false shots on only 19 balls out of the 204 (9%) that they faced today.

Ravichandran Ashwin West Indies India India vs West Indies West Indies tour of India

Shiva Jayaraman is sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo