Visakhapatnam: It's been a trying last nine months in international cricket for Ravichandran Ashwin. Playing only one format for the country since August 2017, the man who reached 300 Test wickets quicker than anyone else in history was relegated to the sidelines even in the five-day game, due to an injury in Australia and then because of the think-tank's greater faith in Ravindra Jadeja's all-round skills when only one spinner could play in the Caribbean.

Emphatically back in the scheme of things upon Test cricket's return to home soil, the Tamil Nadu off-spinner made a telling statement with an inspired five-wicket haul on Day Three of the first Test against South Africa yesterday. Returns of 5-128 from 41 long overs at the ACA-VDCA Stadium marked the first time in nearly 26 months that Ashwin had taken fifer in a Test innings.