R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja first Indian pair ever to score fifty, claim fifer for same team in single Test

New Delhi: There's no denying that the spin combination of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is one of the finest pairing in modern-day cricket. The duo were again at their destructive best, both with the bat and ball, against Sri Lanka in the Colombo Test as they became the first Indian duo ever to score a fifty and claim fifer for the same team in a single match. (IND vs SL - Full Coverage)

Unbeaten on 47 at lunch on Day 2 during India's first innings, Ashwin came out in the second session to claim his half-century with a six off Rangana Herath, his 11th in Test cricket.

The Tamil Nadu-born offie later claimed his 26th five-wicket haul in Test format to go past Harbhajan Singh who has 25 fifers to his name, with former Indian captain Anil Kumble (35) being the only Indian bowler to have more fifers than Ashwin.

READ: Ravindra Jadeja edges past Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev to become second fastest Indian to claim 150 Test wickets

Ravindra Jadeja, on the other hand, mesmerised the crowd with his sword dance yet again after securing a fifty in Colombo before going on to claim his match-winning figures of 7/236 are his best in an overseas Test in Sri Lanka's second innings. 

In doing so, Jadeja eclipsed the 6 for 138 vs Sri Lanka he achieved at Galle in the first Test of the current rubber.

The 2nd #SLvIND Test was just the third occasion ever two players from the same side have scored a fifty and taken a five-for! #howzstat pic.twitter.com/r4XnCPo6qJ — ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2017

The other two instances when the same feat was achieved was by Australia’s Albert Trott and George Giffen vs England at Adelaide in January 1895 and England’s Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan vs India at Trent Bridge, Nottingham in 2011.

This makes the Ashwin – Jadeja pairing the first Indian duo to claim respective fifties and five-wicket-hauls in the same Test.

Team India next face Sri Lanka in the third and final Test of the tour, starting August 12, but will be without the ICC World No. 1 bowler and all-rounder Jadeja, who was suspended for the match for breaching the Code of Conduct.