Ravichandran Ashwin, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, achieved a remarkable milestone on Day 1 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh on September 19. R Ashwin became only the second cricketer in history to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC).
R Ashwin joins Ravindra Jadeja in elite WTC club with fighting fifty
Batting at number eight, Ashwin surpassed the 52-run mark in India's first innings, joining the exclusive club. Ravindra Jadeja, the world's number one Test all-rounder, was the first to accomplish this feat earlier this year in a Test match against England.
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While eleven bowlers have dismissed over 100 batters in the history of the World Test Championship, only Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have achieved the extraordinary feat of scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the tournament. This highlights their exceptional all-round abilities.
Ashwin sets sights on Nathan Lyon's WTC record
Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian spin maestro, is on the brink of surpassing Nathan Lyon's record for the most wickets in World Test Championship history. With just 14 wickets needed to surpass Lyon's tally of 187, Ashwin has a real opportunity to claim the top spot in the WTC wicket-taking charts. Moreover, if Ashwin can secure a five-wicket haul in the ongoing series against Bangladesh, he will achieve another remarkable milestone. He will become the first player to take five or more wickets in an innings eleven times in the history of the World Test Championship.
Multiple Records on Ashwin's Radar
Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian spin wizard, is tantalizingly close to several significant milestones in Test cricket. With 516 Test wickets to his name, he requires just four wickets in the ongoing series against Bangladesh to surpass the legendary West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh's tally of 519 wickets.
If Ashwin can claim 15 wickets in the series, he will not only overtake Walsh but also surpass Nathan Lyon (530 wickets) to become the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket. In the context of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle, Ashwin needs 10 wickets to surpass Josh Hazlewood (51 wickets) and emerge as the leading wicket-taker. Moreover, nine wickets in the series will enable him to break Zaheer Khan's record of 31 wickets and become the most successful bowler in Test matches between India and Bangladesh.
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