Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Ravichandran Ashwin for achieving 500 Test wickets during the third Test between India and England in Rajkot on Friday, February 16. The 73-year-old commended the off-spinner for reaching this ‘extraordinary milestone’ and becoming the second-fastest bowler to achieve 500 wickets in the format.
For those unfamiliar, Ashwin reached the milestone by dismissing Zak Crawley. The 37-year-old is second only to former captain Anil Kumble (619) for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in Tests.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi tagged Ashwin and wrote:
“Congratulations to Ravichandran Ashwin on the extraordinary milestone of taking 500 Test wickets! His journey and accomplishments are testament to his skill and perseverance. My best wishes to him as he scales further peaks.”
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1758505616728105387?s=46
In total, just nine bowlers have taken more than 500 wickets in Test cricket. This exclusive group includes Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708), James Anderson (696*), Stuart Broad (604), Glenn McGrath (563), Courtney Walsh (519), and Nathan Lyon (517*).
“I was an accidental spinner” –Ravichandran Ashwin makes significant revelation after reaching 500 Test wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin shared that his initiation into spin bowling was primarily influenced by his association with the Chennai Super Kings, his inaugural Indian Premier League franchise. The Tamil Nadu native conveyed this insight to reporters during the post-Day 2 press conference.
“I was an accidental spinner. I wanted to be a batter all along. Life gave me a chance. When I walked into the CSK dressing room, Muttiah Muralitharan didn’t want to bowl (with) the new ball and eventually, I got tossed the new ball.”
Ashwin secured 90 wickets in 97 matches for CSK between 2008 and 2015, maintaining an economy rate of 6.46. Subsequently, he expanded his cricketing endeavors to represent Team India in various formats, participating in events like the ODI and T20I World Cups, as well as the World Test Championships.
Meanwhile, on Day 2, England concluded at 207/2 with Ben Duckett (133 off 118) and Joe Root (nine off 13) at the crease, trailing by 238 runs in the first innings.
India, batting initially, posted a total of 445 in their first innings. Captain Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja contributed significantly with scores of 131 (196) and 112 (225), respectively. Debutant Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel also made notable contributions, scoring 62 (66) and 46 (104), respectively.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah added valuable runs towards the end, registering 37 (89) and 26 (28), respectively. England’s Mark Wood excelled with the ball, securing figures of 4/114, while Rehan Ahmed claimed two wickets.
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