County Championship 2021: Ravichandran Ashwin bags 6/27 against Somerset

Ravichandran Ashwin has shined with a five-wicket haul for Surrey in the County Championship match at The Oval. The Indian off-spinner scalped 5 wickets in just 13 overs against Somerset. This would rather be a good match practice and warm-up for Ashwin ahead of India’s Test Match series against England.

In the first innings of the match, Ashwin picked one wicket and ended up scoring a duck. However, he made sure that he changes the fortune of the game a bit by coming back stronger. The vast experience he possesses under his sleeves would have undoubtedly come in handy as he created problems for the Somerset’s batters in the second innings. Clinching 5 wickets, he helped his team restrict Somerset to 60-7 at lunch on Wednesday.

Opening the bowling for the second time in the match Ashwin dismissed Somerset’s batters in quick succession. Steven Davies (7), Tom Lammonby (3), James Hildreth (14), George Bartlett (12), and Roelof van der Merwe (7) fell prey to India’s premium spinner.

Ashwin further picked up another wicket of Ben Green to take his tally to 6 wickets in the match. In their first innings, Somerset scored 429 whereas Surrey was all out for 240. Thus these crucial breakthroughs from Ashwin proved pivotal for the team to cut down the lead further as Somerset was bundled out for 69 in their second innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin – A pivotal cog in team India’s wheel

Ashwin has displayed his flair in red-ball cricket for India over the course of time. In the inaugural final of the World Test Championship, he was the one who provided the team with early breakthroughs. With 71 wickets under his sleeves, he wrapped up the 2019-2021 cycle of the World Test Championship as the leading wicket-taker.

Heading into the five-Test series against England, it is a no-brainer that he would be an important asset to the team. In English conditions, where the seamers often have an edge, the team combination of India is highly anticipated.

Indian pace bowling unit struggled to make a mark in the WTC final and thus the team would be keen to right the wrongs. The plethora of experience Ashwin has can benefit the team to start their second cycle of the WTC on a winning note. However, this game for Surrey would have helped him understand the conditions which would probably benefit Ashwin and India.