IND vs ENG: Indian team felicitates R Ashwin in Dharamsala

Ahead of his 100th Test match in Dharamsala, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid presented a special cap to veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. His family members attended the small ceremony alongside him, with the Indian players seen applauding for him in the background. The Rohit Sharma-led side gave a guard of honor to Ashwin before the start of the day’s play.

In the 99 Test matches that he has been a part of so far, Ashwin has picked up 507 wickets at an average of 23.91. He is considered one of the legends of the game and is only behind Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, and Anil Kumble in the list of most wickets accumulated by a spinner in Test cricket history.

During the toss, skipper Rohit praised one of his most potent assets in red-ball cricket and described him as a true stalwart of Indian cricket.

“Ash (Ashwin) has been a real stalwart of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation, and the family. We will be rooting for him to do the magic,” Rohit said.

Meanwhile, England’s Jonny Bairstow too is playing his 100th Test match in Dharamsala. The stumper-batter recently stated that he is elated and gave the credit for his success to his mother, who survived cancer on two different occasions. Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar admired the duo of Ashwin and Bairstow for completing 100 Test matches in their illustrious careers, recognizing it as an incredible milestone.