Who said what - Top-5 reactions on Ravichandran Ashwin's 5-wicket haul in 1st Test vs West Indies

Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin captivated fans with another spectacular performance on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies in Dominica on Wednesday, July 12.

The 36-year-old recorded figures of 5/60 in a brilliant spell that included the wickets of both openers Tagenarine Chanderpul and Kraigg Brathwaite. Ashwin also prized out the hosts' top-scorer, debutant Alick Athanaze, for 47 to help dismiss the home side for a paltry 150 on the board.

Despite not playing in the World Test Championship (WTC) final last month, the No.1 ranked Test bowler picked up right from where he left off in the Border Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. Ravichandran Ashwin's spell ensured Team India began their 2023-25 WTC cycle on a terrific note.

During his magical spell, the champion bowler also became the first Indian to pick up the wickets of both father and son in Tests when he dismissed Tagenarine. Ashwin bagged the wicket of his father, the great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, four times in his career.

Ravichandran Ashwin also became the 16th cricketer and the third from India to achieve the 700-wicket mark in international cricket after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. It was also an incredible 33rd five-wicket haul Tamil Nadu cricketer in Tests, his fifth against the West Indies and third in the Caribean.

Ashwin also moved closer to the 500-wicket mark in Tests with 479 scalps after his spell on Day 1. His continued dominance sparked drew high praise from several former cricketers and experts.

Here are the top 5 reactions to Ravichandran Ashwin's sparkling 5-wicket haul on Day 1 of the first Test against West Indies.

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#1 Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra praised Ravichandran Ashwin's accuracy as his best attribute after the champion off-spinner recorded his third five-wicket haul in five Tests this year.

Speaking on his YouTube channel after the first day's play, Chopra said:

"His quality is to keep bowling at one spot continuously. This job used to be very easy earlier but people don't do that these days. There are only three or four spinners who are able to pitch the ball at one spot, one is Ashwin, the second is Nathan Lyon, the third is Ravindra Jadeja and it takes you a little more time to find the fourth."

The cricketer-turned-commentator further detailed how the wily off-spinner used his guile to deceive and ultimately dismiss the West Indian batters.

"Ashwin bowled quite a lot from around the stumps," Chopra added. "Subtle variations, he wasn't bowling carrom balls and all. A little drift in the air, slightly away from the batters, arm balls, a little turn and to get the ball to dip slightly with flight - he was in his elements."

Chopra also harped on pre-series prediction of Ashwin as the Player of the Series and added that the 36-year-old made the ideal start to validate his stance.

"The sort of pitches we have in Dominica or the West Indies, before the series I had predicted that Ravichandran Ashwin will be Player of the Series and he is on track currently. If he continues like this, he will become that as well," he concluded.

Ravichandran Ashwin was India's leading-wicket taker in their last series against Australia at home, with 25 scalps in four Tests.

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#2 Deep Dasgupta

Another former Indian opener and wicketkeeper, Deep Dasgupta, hailed Ravichandran Ashwin as one of the modern greats after his 33rd five-wicket haul helped skittle the West Indians out for 150 on Day 1.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo at the close of play on the opening day, Dasgupta said:

"He is undoubtedly among the modern-day greats and once he finishes his career, he will finish as one of the greatest ever. He [Ashwin] has so many varieties in his armoury, but he also knows when to use it. It's one thing to have these variations and it's another thing that you know when to use it."

Dasgupta added that the spin-bowling all-rounder is as good as any bowler, including pacers with the new-ball in Tests.

"If you look at his [Ashwin's] new ball record, it's among the best, including that of the fast bowlers," Dasgupta continued. "Even at home, we have seen him be lethal with the new ball, especially to left-handers. He has all the variations. Not surprised at all to see this performance from Ashwin."

Ashwin picked up his first two wickets with a relatively newish ball by the 17th over of the West Indian innings.

The off-spinner boasts astonishing numbers with the new ball in Tests, picking up 113 wickets in the first 20 overs of an innings at a sensational average of 21.10.

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#3 Pragyan Ojha

Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha lavished praise on Ravichandran Ashwin's ability to set up batters and use his variations accordingly to prize his wickets.

Ojha played with Ashwin in 13 Tests for India during his early years between 2011 and 2013, including five games against the West Indies.

Speaking on Jio Cinema, Ojha said of the great off-spinner:

"He has got four hundreds against them. He made his debut against them, picking wickets and has done wonderfully well. The way he set up the batters was brilliant. He was varying his pace and the West Indies batters did not have answers to the questions that were thrown by Ashwin to them."

The former slow-left-arm orthodox bowlers highlighted Ashwin's ability to knock over the opposition's tail as another potent weapon in his armor.

"The way he wrapped up the innings shows how important he is for the Indian team," Ojha added. "If you see all the champion players, they cross that hurdle and make sure that they always deliver when the team needs them. Ashwin has always been special with the ball and he continues to do that."

Apart from the three top-order scalps, the 36-year-old picked up the wickets of pacer Alzarri Joseph and No.11 Jomel Warrican.

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#4 Danish Kaneria

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria also joined the party, praising Ravichandran Ashwin on his 33rd five-wicket haul in Tests.

Kaneria felt that the off-spinner's incredible performance on Day 1 against the West Indies was the perfect response to being left out of India's playing XI for the WTC final.

Talking about Ashwin's spell on his Youtube channel after Day 1, Kaneraia said:

"What an outstanding bowler Ravichandran Ashwin is. He delivered once again. His performance was like an answer to the team management It was like him asking, 'Am I not worthy of playing in a WTC final?' He let the ball do the talking."

Despite being the third leading-wicket taker in the 2021-23 WTC cycle, Ravichandran Ashwin was omitted for the summit clash against Australia, leading to several critics from experts and fans alike.

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#5 Dinesh Karthik

Team India and Tamil Nadu teammate of Ravichandran Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, hailed the great off-spinner's to out-think and out-skill batters on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies.

The wicketkeeper-batter was particularly impressed by Ashwin's delivery to dismiss Tagenarine Chanderpul, reminding him of a similar delivery to outfox former England skipper Alistair Cook at Edgbaston in 2018.

Speaking on Cricbuzz at the close of play on Day 1, Karthik said:

"He got his first wicket with a beautiful delivery, very reminiscent of how he got Alistair Cook in Edgbaston when I was keeping. It was a lovely delivery that drifted in and did just enough to take off-stump, off bail infact and that's exactly how he got Tagenarine Chanderpaul as well. Chanderpaul's ball was probably the best of the day without a doubt."

Karthik also praised Ashwin's overall record and sustained excellence over time in the red-ball format.

"His 33rd five-wicket haul. In the history of Test cricket among all bowlers, he stands sixth in terms of the number of five-wicket hauls taken ever by a bowler," Karthik added. "We should take a moment just to soak that in. That's how good he has been over a period of time.

"Bowled brilliantly today, out-thought a few batsmen but also out-skilled a few batsmen like the Chanderpaul delivery. Again he has shown us why he is such a world-class spinner over a period of time across nations."

Ravichandran Ashwin is ninth on the all-time list for most wickets in Test cricket, with 479 scalps. Among active cricketers, the off-spinner is fourth behind only Nathan Lyon, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson.