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India's ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin scripted history on Day 2 of the third Test against England in Rajkot as he became only the second Indian to snare 500 wickets in Test cricket. Zak Crawley became R Ashwin's 500th wicket when he was removed by the spin wizard in the 14th over. The 37-year-old broke the promising opening partnership between Crawly and Ben Duckett to give India the much needed breakthrough.
Ashwin's special '500' milestone
With this Ashwin now ranks as the ninth bowler overall to to take 500 Test wickets. Legendary Anil Kumble with 619 wickets in Tests is leading the list of Indian bowlers with most scalps in the longest format of the game. Ashwin, playing his 98th Test match, became the second-quickest cricketer to reach the 500-wicket milestone, a record surpassed only by Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, who achieved it in just 87 matches.
Most Test wickets for India
1) Anil Kumble - 619 in 236 innings
2) R. Ashwin - 500 in 184 innings
3) Kapil Dev - 434 in 227 innings
4) Harbhajan Singh - 417 in 190 innings
5) Zaheer Khan - 311 in 165 innings
Ashwin dedicates 500th wickets to his father
R Ashwin dedicated his 500th Test wickets to his father and said that everytime he has played, his dad has had heart attacks.
“It's been quite a long journey. I'd like to dedicate this 500th wicket to my father. He's been through the thick and thin of everything I've done in my life... he's had heart attacks every time I've played. His health has gone for a toss because he's watched games of mine on TV constantly and been a constant support for me. 500 wickets, done and dusted now. [Feeling tired?] ,” Ashwin said after the match.
Replying to India's first innings 445, England dominated Indian bowlers on Day 2, thanks to Ben Duckett's explosive century which steered the visitors to 207/2 on second day.
Ashwin praised England batters' intent
Ashwin also said that England batters are showing a lot of intent giving Indian bowlers less time to think.
"The way England are playing, you're not having to bowl a lot of overs. They're showing a lot of intent, giving us less time to think and also less labour... You have to bowl good balls and expect one of those airy-fairy shots to go to hand. [Situation?] I expect this pitch to get really tough to bat, probably on day five. We need to hang in there... The game is hanging in the balance. Some things go our way tomorrow morning and we'll find ourselves dominating. They're putting us under pressure but it's important to respond," Ashwin concluded.
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Brought into the attack by Rohit Sharma in the 12th over, Ashwin quickly made an impact, needing only 7 deliveries to secure the wicket he had targeted throughout the series. This accomplishment established him as the second-quickest to achieve 500 Test wickets in just 98 matches, behind only Muttiah Muralitharan, who reached the milestone in 87 matches. Ashwin's prowess is particularly notable in home conditions, where he has taken 351 wickets at an impressive average of 21.26. His performance remains formidable abroad as well, with 149 wickets at an average of 30.40.
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