Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who led India’s spin-bowling attack against England on Day 2 of the 3rd Test in Rajkot, made history by taking 500 wickets for the Asian giants. On Friday, Ashwin joined renowned spinner Anil Kumble as the second Indian bowler to reach 500 wickets in the game’s longest and oldest format. Ashwin reached the milestone during his 98th Test outing for Rohit Sharma’s team. Opening his account in the visitors’ first innings, Ashwin gave Team India a much-needed breakthrough by removing opener Zak Crawley in the 13th over. Rajat Patidar of India took a wonderful catch from England’s opener to help Ashwin reach 500 wickets in the longest format.
Ashwin is currently the second-fastest bowler to get 500 wickets, trailing only great spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. The Sri Lanka veteran reached the milestone in his 87th game, back in March 2004. Ashwin accomplished the same record in his 98th Test match for India. Ashwin’s first wicket for India came against West Indies hitter Darren Bravo in the 2011 Delhi Test. A year later, in Ahmedabad, the spinner took his 50th wicket, dismissing England’s Nick Compton. Ashwin became the fastest to 100 Test wickets in over 80 years when he took Darren Sammy’s wicket during India’s second Test against the West Indies in 2013.
Shwin is India’s fastest bowler to reach 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 wickets in Tests. In the 2016 Kanpur Test, he defeated former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson to record 200 Test scalps. Ashwin claimed his 200th Test wicket for India in his 37th red-ball game. He also beat Harbhajan Singh (46) as India’s fastest bowler to reach 200 Test wickets at the time.
In his 98th Test, the 37-year-old outsmarted Crawley in the final session of the third Test to claim his 500th wicket in red-ball cricket. Ashwin is the ninth bowler and second Indian to reach 500 Test wickets. Only Australia’s Glenn McGrath has taken fewer deliveries (25528) to reach 500 Test wickets than Ashwin. The Indian all-rounder needed 25714 deliveries to reach the milestone. Ashwin, at 37 years and 152 days, is the second-oldest player to reach 500 Test wickets, trailing only Courtney Walsh.