RAJKOT: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has become the second-fastest bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket during the first innings of the third Test against England here on Friday.
Ashwin began the Rajkot Test on 499 wickets and dismissed Zak Crawley (15) to claim his 500th wicket, becoming the ninth bowler to achieve this feat.
He took only 98 Tests to reach the landmark, which is the second-fastest, while Sri Lankan legend Muthiah Muralidaran is the fastest as he took only 87 Test matches.
He is only the second Indian bowler to reach the milestone after fellow spinner Anil Kumble (619).
Meanwhile, Ashwin also became the fifth spinner across the globe to join the elite 500-wicket club after Kumble, Muralidaran, Shane Warne and Nathan Lyon.
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Ravichandran Ashwin, 37, has played 98 Tests since his debut in 2011 against West Indies in Delhi and bowled Darren Bravo to claim his first wicket.
In addition to his tally of 500 wickets, he has also scored 3,308 runs including five Test centuries in his 13-year long Test career.
Before taking his 500th wicket, he was charged by the umpire for running in the middle of the pitch during India’s first innings. This resulted in a five-run penalty for the hosts.
Ashwin was reprimanded by on-field umpire Joel Wilson on the morning of day two in Rajkot and England started their innings with five for no loss as a result of the offence.
READ: India get five-run penalty after Ashwin run in danger zone