IN PICS: Ashwin joins greats after rare feat

Sport360 staff 13:22 19/12/2016

Ravichandran Ashwin is having quite the year. Ranked number one in the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers and all-rounders, Ashwin has now added another feather to his cap.

On Monday, during India’s first innings of the fifth Test against England, the 30-year-old became just the seventh player [eighth instances] in the history of cricket to score 250+ runs and take 25+ wickets in a single Test series.

Only one Indian, the legendary Kapil Dev, had managed this feat before.

England great Ian Botham is the only cricketer to have achieved this feat twice and was also the last player before Ashwin to accomplish the mark, 31 years ago.

Ashwin started his Test career as primarily a spin bowler who could be handy with the bat, but has now turned himself into a genuine all-rounder in Test cricket. In 2016 alone, he has scored two Test centuries.

Playing in just his 44th Test, the Chennai-born off-spinner already has seven Man of the Series awards in Test cricket to his name – the highest for any Indian. His all-round abilities have played a big part in that.

The previous seven instances where 250+ runs and 25+ wickets have been achieved by a player in a Test series before Ashwin, can be seen in the gallery above.

Recommended