IND vs ENG 5th Test: Remembering R. Ashwin's 4 landmark performances on his 100th Test match

R. Ashwin 100th Test: The last time Ashwin played in Dharamsala, against Australia, he scored 30 and picked up four wickets, which included a match-turning 3/29 in the second innings. (Image source: X/@BCCI)

The fifth and final Test between India and England that started on Thursday in Dharamsala, is R. Ashwin's 100th career Test appearance. He is only the 14th Indian cricketer to achieve this feat.

The off-spinner has joined an elite list comprising Sunil Gavaskar (125 Tests), Dilip Vengsarkar (116), Kapil Dev (131), Sachin Tendulkar (200), Anil Kumble (132), Rahul Dravid (164), Sourav Ganguly (113), VVS Laxman (134), Harbhajan Singh (103), Virender Sehwag (104), Ishant Sharma (105), Virat Kohli (113) and Cheteshwar Pujara (103).

Ashwin has won 58 Test matches as a player. He is tied with Cheteshwar Pujara and is just behind Virat Kohli (59). Here's a look at some of his landmark performances:

7/103 and 5/95 vs Australia (Chennai, 2013) India won by eight wickets

R. Ashwin ran through Australia in the first Test of the series with 7/103 and 5/95 in the second innings. He overshadowed Harbhajan Singh with his variations and dismissed all the Aussies across two innings: Shane Watson, David Warner, skipper Michael Clarke, Ed Cowan, the late Phil Hughes, Matthew Wade, Moises Henriques, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.

5/32 and 7/66 vs South Africa (Nagpur, 2015) India won by 124 runs

India had folded for 215 in the first innings. They surrendered to the off-spin of Simon Harmer. Ashwin outdid his opponent spinner by claiming a fifer. He had help from Ravindra Jadeja (4/33), who kept the other end tight. Imran Tahir's heroics restricted India to 173 in the second, and while chasing 310 for victory, the visitors once again danced to Ashwin's tunes. This time, he picked up seven.

6/81 and 7/59 vs New Zealand (Indore, 2016) India won by 321 runs

He was unplayable in the third Test between India and New Zealand eight years ago in Indore. The erudite spinner returned 6/81 in the first innings and recorded his career-best 7/59 in the second as Virat Kohli's team thrashed Kane Williamson and Co by a mammoth 321 runs. The Kiwis limped to 299 in the first innings and folded for 153 in the second.

7/83 vs West Indies (North Sound, 2016) India won by an innings and 92 runs

It was the first Test of the series, and West Indies had no clue against the pacers. Ashwin did not pick a wicket in the first innings when the Caribbeans ended at 243 after India's 566/8 (decl.) He started causing revolutions with the ball in the second innings when West Indies was following on. Among his big wickets were Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder and Roston Chase.