Indian off-spinner R Ashwin put up a sterling show to notch up his fifth Test century against England on Day Three of the second Test in Chennai on Monday (February 5). Ashwin’s wife Prithi is one of his biggest supporters and it didn’t take long for her to come up with a hilarious tweet to celebrate her husband’s achievement.
She shared a photo showing Ashwin as ‘Master’, the recent Tamil hit movie from actor Vijay and director Lokesh Kanagaraj. A photoshopped picture on Ashwin on the poster of ‘Master’ sent cricket fans in a tizzy on a day of records for the hometown hero.
Who did this pic.twitter.com/opmD6oRq0o
— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) February 15, 2021
Ashwin scored smashed 106 off 148 balls with the help of 14 fours and a six as India’s second innings came to an end at 286 in the post-tea session. Mohammad Siraj remained unbeaten on 16, and added 49 runs for the final wicket with Ashwin who was the last wicket to fall. India then prized out the wickets of openers Dom Sibley (3) and Rory Burns (25) as well as night-watchman Jack Leach (0) to set England back in chase of 482. England are still 430 runs adrift.
Ashwin’s century followed a five-wicket haul in England’s first innings, making him only the second cricketer to achieve the feat of a century and a fifer in the same game on three different occasions. Ian Botham of England had done it five times.
Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir was among the ones who had rich praise for Ashwin, calling him India's best match winner after Anil Kumble.
“He always had the talent, you can't have 5 Test hundred if you don’t have talent and what better to get it at a place where you have actually grown up, you have always dreamt of getting runs and especially Test hundred on your home ground and on a wicket like this, you have already taken a five-for, then you go and get a hundred which no other batter has got in this innings, what a feeling, what a Test match,” Gambhir said on Star Sports network.
