Ravichandran Ashwin bamboozles Alastair Cook with the exact same trick in the 2nd inning

Ashwin has now dismissed Cook 9 times in Test cricket.

Published - 03 Aug 2018, 00:50 IST | Updated - 03 Aug 2018, 00:50 IST

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Team India had just 4 overs before stumps on day 2 and Virat Kohli had a decision to make. He stuck to his two best bowlers Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin to get the job done. Shami needed a few balls to get his line right against Alastair Cook in the first over and eventually he was back to the outside off-stump line. When Ashwin returned for the last over of the evening, he got the big man out on the second ball he bowled at him.

If one wasn’t looking closely to identify that it was live action on, would definitely think this was a replay from the first innings. Ashwin reproduced the same delivery that got the better of Cook and has now he dismissed him twice in two innings. The off-spinner toss it up with real body behind the ball, pitched the ball on his leg-stump, another notable aspect here was the seam, it was pointing towards first slip, the hard new red cherry drift, it dipped and Cook attempting to defend it got nowhere near.

It was a beautiful delivery from Ashwin, bowled in a similar manner, pitched in almost the same zone and went past the outside edge of his bat to kiss the top of the left-hander’s off-stump. This is now the ninth time the Indian spinner has dismissed England’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket. They’ve faced each other in 22 innings and Ashwin has certainly made Cook his bunny.

What it has also done is already pushed England on the backfoot. There were a lot of questions on whether the off-spinner will succeed on this tour to England. He had a torrid time last time, but since is a lot better bowler, understands the game a lot more, has added a few more variations to his attack but most importantly uses them wisely.

Ashwin picked up a four-wicket haul in the first innings and was the key reason India could bowl England out under 300 and with the way he got Cook out the left-handers in the opposite dressing room will already be worried.