Ravichandran Ashwin, the 37-year-old offspinner, achieved a historic milestone, becoming the second Indian to claim 500 Test wickets. Attaining this feat in his 98th Test, Ashwin is also the second-fastest to reach the landmark. His crucial wicket of Zak Crawley broke England’s 89-run opening stand in response to India’s first-innings score of 445.
Since his debut in November 2011, Ashwin has played a pivotal role in India’s home dominance over the last decade. With 34 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket match hauls, he stands as one of India’s greatest Test bowlers, trailing only Anil Kumble in wicket tally. Ashwin joins the elite company of Muthiah Muralidaran and Nathan Lyon as the third offspinner to achieve 500 Test wickets.
Notably, his 500th wicket comes in the ongoing series, marking his tenth scalp in the fifth innings. Ashwin’s impressive performances in the series include figures of 3 for 68 and 3 for 126 in the first Test in Hyderabad and 0 for 61 and 3 for 72 in the second in Visakhapatnam.
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