In South India, resilience seems to be ingrained, as evidenced by the recent achievement of a Tamil Nadu cricketer who now boasts 500 Test wickets. There’s a saying that Chennai natives, like Ravichandran Ashwin, aren’t ones to compromise, and indeed, he epitomizes this trait.
What’s truly remarkable about Ashwin? Is it his strategic brilliance, his stamina to bowl extended spells or his relentless pursuit of improvement with each passing game? While there’s much to dissect about his prowess, one thing stands out: his knack for seizing opportunities when India finds itself trailing.
Throughout his 98-match Test career, Ashwin has consistently been a pivotal figure, transitioning from an opening batsman to a member of the elite 50 club by dismissing Zak Crawley. Moreover, Ashwin’s journey to 500 wickets has been swift, marking him as the second fastest to reach this milestone in terms of matches played (98 Tests), balls bowled (25,714), and innings (184).
Joining an exclusive group, he becomes just the ninth bowler, and the second Indian, to achieve this historic feat. At 37 years old, Ashwin has amassed an impressive tally of 34 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket hauls, showcasing his ability to thrive under pressure and outwit opponents with his diverse repertoire of skills.
The moment of triumph, where Ashwin claimed his 500th scalp, came as he cleverly exploited the rough patch on the leg side, inducing a top edge from Crawley’s attempted sweep, resulting in a straightforward catch for Rajat Patidar.
It’s worth noting that Ashwin’s journey began 1,500 km away from the venue of his 500th wicket, at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi (now Arun Jaitley Stadium), when he made his debut against West Indies in November 2011.
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