Ravichandran Ashwin equals Muttiah Muralitharan record for most Player of the Series awards in Test cricket | Cricket News


Ravichandran Ashwin equals Muttiah Muralitharan record for most Player of the Series awards in Test cricket
Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo by Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Ace Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who on Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh, had broken the record of Anil Kumble of most Test wickets in Asia by an Indian, added another feather to his glittering cap on Day 5 in Kanpur on Tuesday.
Ashwin, who took 5 wickets in the second Test, was adjudged the Player of the Series. Ashwin was the Man of the Match in the first Test in Chennai for scoring a magnificent 113 in the first innings when India were in a spot of bother.
Wicketless in the first innings, Ashwin took 6 wickets in the second innings in Chennai as India decimated Bangladesh by 280 runs.
India beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets in Kanpur to sweep the Test series 2-0.
By winning the Player of the Series award in Kanpur, Ashwin equalled the record of Sri Lankan spin great Muttiah Muralitharan.
Most Player of the Series awards in Tests:

  • 11 – Muttiah Muralitharan
  • 11 – Ravichandran Ashwin
  • 9 – Jacques Kallis
  • 8 – Sir Richard Hadlee
  • 8 – Imran Khan
  • 8 – Shane Warne

After being adjudged the Player of the Series, Ashwin said, “Winning this game was important for us. Massive win for us in the context of the WTC. When we bowled them out yesterday, it was little after lunch. Rohit was keen that we needed 80 overs to bowl at them. He said even if we get bowled out for 230, it’s okay. And he set the tone with the way he stepped out first ball. You get more bite with the new ball than the old ball. The more you put overspin, it’s harder on this pitch because the ball doesn’t leave the surface. I’m happy to settle into the rhythm. The revs I put on the ball cannot be underestimated.”