Indian team felicitates Ravichandran Ashwin in Dharamsala, gives guard of honour for 100th Test

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 honour to Ashwin before the start of the day’s play.

In the 99 Test matches that he has been a part 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.

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“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.

“It's a historic day in Dharamsala as @ashwinravi99 and @jbairstow21 don the international whites for the 100th time. An incredible achievement that speaks volumes about their passion and perseverance for red-ball cricket. I wish them both a fantastic game ahead!” Sachin tweeted.

Devdutt Padikkal makes his debut for India in fifth Test

During the toss, Rohit mentioned that Rajat Patidar injured his ankle during the training session, which ruled him out of the fifth Test. In his absence, the team management has picked Devdutt Padikkal, who will be making his debut appearance for Team India.

The 23-year-old has played 31 first-class matches so far in his career and has made 2227 runs at an average of 44.54. Ashwin was asked to hand Padikkal his Test cap in his debut match.