Best match figures in India-England Tests
Bazball has finally arrived in India with the first Test being played in Hyderabad. The tour concludes with the fifth and final game on March 7 at the picturesque HPCA stadium in Dharamsala. Over the years, there have been many exciting encounters that have taken place between these two giants in the whites. Some quality bowlers from either side have had their say throughout a particular Test match through their splendid performances. A few of the top ones feature in this article as we look at some of the best spells delivered in these fixtures.
Let’s take a look at the best match figures in India-England Test matches (Top 3):
3) R Ashwin (12/167)
India spinner R Ashwin occupies the third position in this list. The off-spinner delivered solid figures of 12/167 against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 2016. The now 37-year-old picked up six wickets in each innings of the Test. The visitors batted first and managed a big total of 400. Ashwin spun his web to pick up figures of 6/112 in 44 overs. In the second innings, he again haunted the English batters with his spell of 6/55 in 20.3 overs as India won the contest by an innings and 36 runs.
2) Vinoo Mankad (12/108)
The late Vinoo Mankad is in the second spot in the elite chart. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler picked up figures of 12/108 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in 1952. The tourists batted first and got bowled out for 266 as Mankad wreaked havoc with his devastating spell of 8/55, which included 15 maidens in 38.5 overs. The spin bowler then took four wickets for 53 runs with nine maidens in 30.5 overs in the second innings as India won by an innings and eight runs.
1) Ian Botham (13/106)
Former legendary English all-rounder Ian Botham tops the list for his match figures of 13/106. The right-arm bowler achieved the magical numbers at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 1980. The home side batted first and got bundled out for 242 courtesy of Botham’s splendid seam bowling. He picked up six wickets for 58 runs with seven maidens in 22.5 overs in the first innings. Botham did not stop there as he again dismantled India’s batting line-up in the second innings with figures of 7/48 with seven maidens in 26 overs. The visitors sealed the deal by a margin of ten wickets.
