Ravichandran Ashwin played a pivotal role in India’s dominant 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the first Test of the series, excelling with both bat and ball. The 38-year-old all-rounder notched up his sixth Test century, scoring 113 runs, and then claimed six wickets in the second innings, equaling Shane Warne’s record for the second-most five-wicket hauls in Test history.
As India heads into the second Test in Kanpur, Ashwin is on the verge of achieving several significant milestones. Let’s break down the six records he could potentially set.
Key records Ashwin can break
1. First Indian to take 100 wickets in the fourth innings of Test matches
Ashwin is already the leading wicket-taker for India in the fourth innings of Test matches. He currently stands at 99 wickets in the final innings. Just one more wicket will make him the first Indian to reach 100 wickets in this context, joining an elite group of only six bowlers worldwide.
2. Highest wicket-taker in India vs Bangladesh Tests
Ashwin is just three wickets shy of surpassing Zaheer Khan’s record of 31 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in Test matches between India and Bangladesh. Achieving this would further solidify his dominance in these matchups.
3. Leading wicket-taker in World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023-25
With four more wickets, Ashwin would surpass Josh Hazlewood’s tally of 51 wickets to become the leading wicket-taker in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
4. Second-most fifers in Test cricket history
Ashwin is currently tied with Australian legend Shane Warne at 37 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. A single five-wicket haul in the upcoming matches would make Ashwin the sole holder of second place in this prestigious category.
5. Leading wicket-taker in WTC history
Ashwin is only eight wickets away from overtaking Australia’s Nathan Lyon as the top wicket-taker in World Test Championship history. Lyon leads the charts with 187 wickets, while Ashwin is closely behind with 180.
6. Seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history
To move up in the all-time list of Test wicket-takers, Ashwin needs just nine more wickets. This would see him leapfrog Lyon’s current tally of 530 wickets, placing Ashwin seventh in the historical rankings with 531. As Ashwin prepares for the second Test, these milestones highlight his consistency and impact on the game, as he stands on the cusp of rewriting cricketing history.
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