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 joins fellow spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka – 800), the late Shane Warne (Australia – 708), Kumble and Nathan Lyon (Australia – 517) in the exclusive club.

Ashwin, 37, has played 98 Tests since his debut in 2011.

The all-rounder has scored 3,308 runs including five Test centuries as a batsman.

The engineering graduate from Chennai started out as a top-order batter and tried his hand at medium pace bowling before settling for the role of an off-spinner, a decision that was forced by a back injury during his teenage years.

Following the Kumble and Harbhajan Singh era, Ashwin had big shoes to fill and he has done that with remarkable consistency.

In his first 16 Tests, Ashwin snared nine five-wicket hauls and became the fastest to the 300 wickets club.

Ashwin has also proved his worth in the shorter formats, having played 116 ODIS for his 156 wickets in the format. He has 72 wickets in 65 T20 International appearances.

*With Agency Inputs

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Published: 16 Feb 2024, 03:53 PM IST