Ravichandran Ashwin completes 500 Test wickets, joins elite list with massive career milestone

Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], February 16 (ANI): Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday added another gem to his illuminating crown as he became the second Indian to complete 500 wickets in Tests.

Ashwin achieved the feat during a match against England, the off-spinner was on 499 scalps at the end of the second Test in Vizag and completed his 500th with the wicket of Zak Crawley on Day 2 of the third Test.

The spin maestro became the second Indian, after former spinner Anil Kumble, and ninth overall to take 500 wickets in Test cricket.

Ashwin is the ninth bowler in Test history to reach 500 wickets and Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Nathan Lyon are the only spinners who have taken more wickets than him in Test history.

The spin maestro, who made his Test debut in November 2011, has been India’s strike bowler in Tests, especially at home, where he has taken 347 of his 500 wickets.

Ashwin reached the milestone in his 98 Test matches, trailing only Muttiah Muralitharan in terms of time. Each of the remaining seven bowlers required more than 100 Test matches to reach the milestone.

India’s star spinner Ashwin has 34 five-wicket hauls and eight 10-wicket match hauls in his shinning Test cricket career.

England pace legend James Anderson, Australia’s star spinner Nathan Lyon and Ashwin are the only active bowlers to have more than 400 wickets in Test cricket.