India skipper Virat Kohli was effusive in praise of Ravchandran Ashwin after the off-spinner became only the fourth Indian, and sixth spinner in the world, to take 400 Test wickets.
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, has raised quite a few eyebrows as the third Test between India and England finished in two days. And while England skipper Joe Root didn't directly criticise the wicket, he said that him bagging a fifer summed things up.
'Ideally we would have wanted about 40 runs more'.
Shubman Gill lauded fast bowlers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj for stepping up in the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah
Following Harbhajan Singh's feat of capturing 400 Test wickets, rediff.com looks back on his five best moments in Test cricket.
Back-to-back Test series wins over Australia are almost unheard of but India have won the last four they have played.
India crushed England by 336 runs to level the series at 1-1 on Sunday
Ravichandran Ashwin will become only the 14th Indian player and 77th overall in world cricket to complete the milestone of 100 Test matches.
Calling Kuldeep a world-class spinner, Morkel said India are trying to fit the wily operator into the side. He can now only play the last Test at The Oval from July 31.
The ground brought sanity to the wild, soaring numbers for the batters in the series. The wicket had grass, and it made the batters struggle.
With two days still to play, England are firm favourites to secure the win in Manchester, one that would seal victory in the five-match series with one test still to come.
According to Ashwin, being in the COVID-19 lockdown made him realise just how lucky he was to play for India.
'This England team has openly advertised that they will go for the target whatever may be the target. So as a batting line-up, we've to keep in mind that we have to give them less time but give a bigger target.'
Key players, such as pacer Mitchell Starc, are hitting form at the right time, while star batter Steve Smith is facing early setbacks in his preparations.
India were in danger of suffering their first home test loss to New Zealand since 1988, despite Sarfaraz Khan's 150 and Rishabh Pant's 99, when the tourists bowled them out for 462 on the fourth day of their rain-interrupted series opener on Saturday.
'Lyon has over 400 Test wickets and dismissed India's best batter in this crucial moment.'
His 454 run-partnership with Harry Brook is the fourth-highest in Tests and Root said his fellow Yorkshireman was 'outstanding' with his triple-ton.
While debate continues over the state of the Ahmedabad pitch and whether it is suitable for Test cricket, England shot themselves in the foot before a ball was bowled by opting for a pace-heavy attack on a spinners' paradise in the third match against India.
Several former players, including India's Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman, on Thursday said that the turning Motera pitch, on which India defeated England by 10 wickets inside two days, was not ideal for Test cricket, an opinion that was not shared by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
'400 wickets for India. A milestone to savour! @Jaspritbumrah93 has picked up his 400th wicket for #TeamIndia.'
-He has 30 five-wicket hauls in international cricket, the 10th highest in the format and the second highest by an Indian next to Anil Kumble (38). Muralitharan has the highest number of five-wicket hauls (77).
Following Harbhajan Singh's milestone of 400 wickets in the third Test against the West Indies on Thursday, we present the leading wicket-takers in the longest format of the game.
As Ravichandran Ashwin prepares to step onto the field for his 100th Test in the upcoming Dharamsala fixture on March 7, he is poised to join a prestigious group of 14 Indian cricketers
'It is expected that, in time, he will have a full recovery'
Rocky Flintoff is the youngest player to hit a century for the England Under-19 side during a Test match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
80 Tests and 16,634 deliveries -- the least by any bowler in the 400 Test wicket Club -- took him to the cherished landmark.
Jasprit Bumrah continues to dominate the ICC Test bowling rankings, retaining his position as the No. 1 bowler.
'I don't think I have ever been a part of such a Test match where things have happened so quickly.'
Plenty of hopes will rest on the young shoulders of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who, at the age of just 23, has earned a reputation as one of the world's best openers in the longest format of the game.
From July 2016 to October 2019, in just 1,176 days, Kohli crafted seven double centuries, including six at home. He still holds the record for most Test double centuries by a captain and an Indian cricketer.
In the first Test in Kolkata, Herath bowled only eight overs in seaming conditions, but was required to send down 39 overs in the only innings that India batted in Nagpur, after which he complained of back pain.
Shami had been picked in the initial squad for the two Tests, but was forced to withdraw due to fitness issues.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
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Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets as a rampaging Mumbai Indians demolished Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs.
An in-form Mumbai Indians will be out for revenge having lost to Gujarat Titans earlier in the season.
Alastair Cook is now England's leading Test match run-scorer.
Brad Hogg said Ashwin would be a great addition to Indian side in the 50-over format.
'...whether he is a top player or not, it doesn't matter.' 'If I go by a player's name I won't be able to bowl at my best.' 'For me he is just a batter, and my only focus is where I need to land the ball.'
This period saw big stars of the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev fade into the sunset while it was witness to the birth of slew of young Indian cricketers that made their mark home and abroad.
