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In a remarkable feat, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian bowler to claim the wickets of a father and son duo in his illustrious Test career. Ashwin accomplished this feat when he dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies.
Having made his Test debut in 2011, Ashwin had previously dismissed Tagenarine's father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, during his maiden Test on the third day of the 1st Test in New Delhi. With the dismissal of Tagenarine, the 36-year-old Ashwin joined an exclusive list of only five bowlers worldwide who have achieved the unique distinction of dismissing both father and son.
The other bowlers on this intriguing list are Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, South Africa's off-spinner Simon Harmer, England all-rounder Ian Botham, and Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.
In another interesting coincidence, former India captain Virat Kohli joined the legendary Sachin Tendulkar as the only two players to have played against a father-son duo in international cricket. Kohli faced Shivnarine Chanderpaul when India toured the West Indies on their previous Test tour to the Caribbean in 2011. Now, Kohli had the opportunity to face Tagenarine Chanderpaul on Wednesday, further adding to the uniqueness of the situation.
It is worth noting that Sachin Tendulkar had encountered a similar scenario during India's 1992 tour of Australia when he played against Geoff Marsh, and then later played against his son Shaun Marsh during the 2011-12 Test series in Australia. Shaun had made his Test debut against India in that series, which also marked Tendulkar's final red-ball international assignment away from home.
Ashwin's accomplishment adds another chapter to his impressive Test career and highlights the rare instances where generations collide on the cricket field, creating intriguing narratives and memorable moments in the game.