Ashwin attains historic 500-wicket milestone in Rajkot Test against England. The off-spinner reached this feat during the ongoing match, concluding the second Test in Vizag at 499 scalps.
On Day 2 of the third Test, he secured his 500th wicket with the dismissal of Zak Crawley. Ashwin is now the ninth bowler in Test history to achieve this milestone, following in the footsteps of the legendary Anil Kumble as the only Indian to surpass the 500-wicket mark. In the all-time list of highest wicket-takers in Test cricket, Ashwin is among esteemed company, with Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Nathan Lyon being the only other spinners ahead of him. Having made his Test debut in November 2011, Ashwin has prominently served as India’s strike bowler, particularly excelling at home where 347 of his 500 wickets have been claimed.
Ashwin attains historic 500-wicket milestone in 98 Test matches, becoming the second-quickest in Test history after Muttiah Muralitharan. In contrast, the other seven bowlers who achieved this feat took more than 100 Test matches. On the eve of the Test, teammate Ravindra Jadeja playfully remarked that it was Ashwin’s “destiny” to reach this milestone at Jadeja’s home ground in Rajkot.
Expressing his joy, Jadeja stated, “I am very happy for him; I have been playing with him for years. I thought he would get it in the first test match, but it’s okay; it is destiny that he will get it here in my hometown.”
Ashwin’s Test career boasts 34 five-wicket hauls and eight 10-wicket match hauls. Notably, James Anderson, Nathan Lyon, and Ashwin stand as the only active bowlers with over 400 wickets in Test cricket.
