India v/s England: it is not Ashwin’s responsibility to get all wickets everytime

Also, rarely has Ashwin bowled on the first two days of a Test match in recent times. Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, he has picked up 19 wickets in the first innings of a Test, coming in varying conditions of Sydney, Galle, Bengaluru, Kingston, Port of Spain and here in Rajkot.

But none was as flat as the typical Rajkot pitch. In fact, Ashwin has even taken two five-wicket haul in recent times on the first day of a Test. Barring the two wickets in the first session of the first day on Wednesday, Ashwin went without a wicket for four full sessions.

After dismissing Ben Duckett courtesy a first-slip catch by Ajinkya Rahane in his 12th over, Ashwin toiled hard but without luck for the next 34 overs, finishing with 2/167 in 46 overs. He has only gone more expensive on two other occasions when he finished with 3/194 against Australia in Adelaide in 2011-12 and 3/183 against England in Kolkata in 2012-13.