The Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made Test cricket history by twice putting former Australia skipper Steve Smith out for a duck. In the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Ashwin dispatched Marnus Labuschagne and Smith with three lethal deliveries.
It's interesting to note that in the past six matches between India and Australia, Ashwin has removed Smith four times. In 2020, when India and Australia were playing in Melbourne, he initially threw out Smith for a duck.
The biggest star for India in their dominance of Tests at home over the past ten years has been the world's top all-rounder in Test cricket. The 36-year-old has taken 10 wickets overall, making him the series' leading wicket-taker.
Marnus Labuschagne was first caught by Ashwin on the pads after a clamorous request for an LBW was denied. The ball would have hit middle and off, according to replays, and Ashwin convinced Rohit Sharma to elect the DRS. Two balls later, R Ashwin showed why he is such a talented bowler by sending it slightly farther outside the off-stump as Smith stepped forward to provide a narrow chance, and wicketkeeper KS Bharat performed a superb catch.
Usman Khawaja appeared at ease in the middle as Australia made a strong start to the innings. David Warner was eventually removed by Mohammed Shami after edging the ball to wicketkeeper KS Bharat, continuing his dismal Test performance. Just before noon, Marnus Labuschagne joined Khawaja at the crease, and the two players were building a strong connection. Then, R Ashwin took back control of the situation.
With three wickets in the first innings that helped limit Australia to a total of 177, Ashwin was also the star bowler in the first Test in Nagpur. He proved unplayable in the second innings, collecting a five-wicket haul as India bowled the visitors out for 91 runs. Ashwin completed the feat in just 89 matches, making him the Indian bowler with the fastest 450 Test wicket total.
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