Chennai: Ravichandran Ashwin became the first Indian spinner to take a wicket off the first ball of an innings in Test cricket.
He achieved the feat during England’s second innings on Day Four of the first Test here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium when he took the wicket of Rory Burns.
Ashwin, coming round the wicket, generated extra bounce, and as Burns tried to prod at it, the ball took the edge of his bat and went straight to Ajinkya Rahane at slips.
The India spinner, with his dismissal of Burns, became the first spinner in more than 100 years to get a wicket off the first ball of an innings. Before him, it was South African cricketer Bert Vogler to do so in 1907. The first spinner ever to pick up a wicket off the first ball of an innings was former England bowler Bobby Peel in 1888.
Meanwhile, India on Monday were bundled out for 337 in reply to England’s first inning score of 578, thus conceding a hefty lead of 241 runs. Ashwin had returned with figures of 3/146 in the 55.1 overs he bowled during the course of England’s first innings at the Chepauk.
