Rajkot: Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday dedicated his 500 Test wickets feat to his father Ravichandran. Ashwin achieved this feat with England's opener Zak Crawley's wicket on the second day of the third Test against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium here.
Ashwin has become the overall second-fastest and fastest Indian bowler to pick 500 Test wickets. He took 98 matches to achieve this feat while legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan had taken only 87 games. The only other Indian to take 500 or more Test wickets to his name is former India skipper, Anil Kumble. Kumble has a whopping tally of 619 Test wickets from 132 matches.
Speaking to the Jio Cinema, the 37-year-old said, "It's been quite a long journey. Firstly I'd like to dedicate this feat to my father. He's been with me through thick and thin and probably had a heart attack every time he's watched me play. His health has probably gone for a toss because of that."
England once again showed their ultra-aggressive 'bazball' approach with the bat, scoring 207 runs on the loss of two wickets in only 35 overs. The runs were flowing for England in the third session as they accumulated 176 runs in just 29 overs and didn't allow the Indian bowlers to stick on one length and kept sweeping and smashing them all over the park.
"England are showing a lot of intent, playing like they would in an ODI or T20 game. Given us a lot to think about, we have to keep doing what we're doing and hope that one goes to hand. The surfaces we've played on in this series have allowed the batters time on the first three days. Expect this pitch to get hard on Day 5, " he added.
"We need to exercise discipline, England have been in such positions before. I think the game is in the balance, they’re putting us under pressure but it's important we stay composed and stay in the game," Ashwin, who hails from Tamil Nadu, commented.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated Ashwin on his feat. "Breaking Records & Crafting Dreams, that's Chennai's own boy, @ashwinravi99!With every turn, he weaves a tale of determination and skill, marking a truly SPINtacular milestone! Hats off to Ashwin's magical spin, masterfully securing his 500th Test wicket in the annals of cricket history. Here's to more wickets and wins for our very own legend! (sic)," Stalin said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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