Bowling in tests, especially in the sub-continent conditions, is a Herculean task. They need to toil hard, to dismiss the opposition’s batsmen. Only the well-skilled bowlers fare in the red-ball cricket.
In the ongoing test match between India and England, Moeen Ali took four wickets in the first innings. This included a magic delivery to Virat Kohli, which dismissed him for a duck. Moeen Ali also became the first spinner to dismiss Virat for nought in Tests.
Jack Leach termed this delivery as ‘world-class’ after the end of the first day of the second test match. The delivery, indeed, was a top-notch delivery. It pitched at the off-stump and spun in astringently.
Moeen Ali Against India In Tests:
Moeen Ali, the off-spinner, also picked up three more wickets, including the crucial wicket of a well-set Ajinkya Rahane. He ended the innings with decent bowling figures of 4/128 in 29 overs. As a result, he climbed to the sixth position among all the bowlers with the most number of Test wickets against India.
The chart above shows the bowlers with the most number of wickets against India in the whites. Muttiah Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan legend, tops the chart with 105 wickets to his name. Nathan Lyon and Lance Gibbs follow him, while Moeen Ali sits at the sixth position with 45 dismissals.
The all-rounder has a bowling average of 33.00 against the Men In Blue in the longest format of the game. The 33-years old has also picked up two fifers against them, with 9/134 being his best match figures against India. He will look to add more to his tally in the second innings of the match.
India, meanwhile, are looking under firm control in the second test so far. They are currently 54/1 after the close of Day 2. With English batsmen failing to counter the spin-trio of Ashwin, Kuldeep and Axar in the first innings, India are on a brink of winning the test match and levelling the series.
