As Team India gears up to face England in the second Test of the series in Visakhapatnam, all eyes will be on off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The senior India bowler stands on the cusp of history with 496 Test wickets to his name. With four more wickets, he will become the only second Indian bowler to enter the 500-wicket club.
Ashwin has been the mainstay of the Indian Test team for many years and has been one of the most successful bowlers – particularly in the subcontinental conditions – for the side. The veteran off-spinner will aim to not only reach the milestone 500-figure but also help India level the series in Vizag, as the side endured a shock 28-run loss in the opening match in Hyderabad.
As the 36-year-old Ashwin stares at the incredible feat, let’s take a detailed look at all the potential records the India star can break in the second Test:
The iconic 500
Ravichandran Ashwin’s six dismissals in the 1st Test propelled him to 496 wickets in his Test career. Should he reach 500 wickets in the upcoming Test, he will join Anil Kumble as the only second Indian and become only the fifth spinner in cricket history to achieve this feat, further solidifying his status as one of the game’s all-time greats.
Here’s the list of the highest wicket-takers in Tests (among spinners)
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800
- Shane Warne (Australia) – 708
- Anil Kumble (India) – 619
- Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 517
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 496*
A ‘century’ against England:
Ashwin’s prowess against England is well-documented, and with just six more scalps, he will become the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets against England in Tests, a testament to his consistency and dominance against a top opposition.
The Indian spinner had surpassed Kumble in terms of most wickets against the English side in the previous Test and remains only behind Bhagwath Chandrashekhar (95 wickets) on the list.
Major milestone on Indian soil
Nearing 350 wickets in Tests on home soil, Ashwin is poised to become the only second Indian bowler and fifth overall to achieve this remarkable feat, cementing his legacy as one of India’s most successful spinners.
The off-spinner is seven wickets away from the key milestone. Interestingly, Kumble had finished his career on exactly 350 wickets on Indian soil, meaning Ashwin has an opportunity to surpass the India legend in the second Test. Here’s the list of highest wicket-takers on home soil:
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 493
- James Anderson (England) – 434
- Stuart Broad (England) – 398
- Anil Kumble (India) – 350
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 343*
Asian Dominance
With a mere seven wickets away, Ashwin is on the brink of joining an elite group of bowlers to claim 400+ wickets in Tests played in Asia. In addition to his 343 wickets in India, Ashwin has picked 38 wickets in six Tests in Sri Lanka and 12 wickets in three matches in Bangladesh.
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