Statistical Highlights from Ravichandran Ashwin's career

Statistical Highlights from Ravichandran Ashwin's Test career. Ravichandran Ashwin becomes 2nd India bowler to take 500 wickets in Tests. Dharamshala test will be Ashwin's 100th Test.

Ravichandran Ashwin India's 2nd most successful bowler in Tests (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has etched his name in Test cricket history books with a career defined by exceptional skill and numerous records. With a keen cricketing intellect and a diverse bowling repertoire, Ashwin has become one of the premier spinners and wicket-takers in the format for India. 

Starting his Test journey in 2011, Ashwin quickly established himself as a wicket-taking force, claiming a six-wicket haul in the second innings of his debut game. His ability to extract turn and bounce, coupled with clever variations made him a formidable opponent for batters worldwide. His five Test centuries are a testament to his batting ability and temperament. 

Statistical highlights form Ravichandran Ashwin’s Test career:

Most wickets in India: R Ashwin has surpassed erstwhile India leg spinner Anil Kumble's tally of 350 wickets in the longest format of the game, claiming 354 Test wickets in India, the most by any bowler, during the fourth Test against England in Ranchi. He is ranked fourth in the list of most Test wickets by a bowler at home after Sri Lanka’s Muthiah Muralidaran (493), England’s pace bowling pair of James Anderson (434), and Stuart Broad (398). 

Most wickets by an India bowler against any opponent at home: R Ashwin (17 matches) holds the record for the most for an India bowler against any opponent with 91 Test wickets at home against England. He went past Harbhajan Singh's 86 strikes against Australia in 14 Tests played in India.

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Fastest to achieve 350 Test wickets: Ashwin (66 matches) was the joint-fastest player to reach the 350 Test wickets mark in 66 matches with Muralidharan. He was also the Fastest to 250 wickets (45 matches), and 300 wickets (54 matches).

2nd Most Five-fers: The right-arm off-spinner has 35 five-wicket hauls under his belt, the fourth most in red-ball cricket, after Muralidaran (67), Australia’s legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne (37) and the Kiwi pacer Richard Hadlee (36). He has equalled former India skipper Kumble to become the player with joint-most five-fors by an India bowler.

2nd Most Five-wicket hauls at home: Ashwin, who hails from Chennai, has taken 27 five-wicket hauls in home Tests, the second-most for any bowler, overtaking Sri Lanka’s left-arm orthodox spinner Rangana Herath's tally of 26. He is now only behind Muralidaran, who tops the list with 45 five-wicket hauls at home.

4th Most Five-wicket hauls in the 3rd and 4th Innings: The 37-year-old has bagged 18 five-fers in the third and fourth innings of the Test match, behind Muralidaran, who hails from Jaffna. He has the most third-innings five-fers in Tests with 28, followed by his compatriot Herath(21) and Shane Warne (19). 

2nd oldest India bowler to pick a five-fer: Ashwin, who is 37 years and 159 days old, picked a five-wicket haul in the second innings of the Ranchi Test, becoming the second-oldest India bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Former Legendary left-arm finger spinner Vinoo Mankad remains the oldest with the age of 37 years and 306 days to achieve this feat against Pakistan in Peshawar in 1955.

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Ashwin becomes only bowler with 350+ wickets in India (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

2nd Most Player of the Series awards: Ravichandran Ashwin has won 10 ‘Player of the Series’ in 99 matches, while Muttiah Muralitharan has 11 in 133 matches. 

2nd Fastest to 500 Wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin (77, 89, 98 matches respectively) is also the second fastest cricketer to claim 400, 450 and 500 wicket milestone after Sri Lanka’s veteran spinner Muralidharan who has achieved this milestone in 72, 80,87 matches respectively. 

2nd India player to score 3000 runs and take 250+ wickets: Ashwin has so far slammed 3,309 runs and taken 507 wickets in 99 matches while the former India skipper Kapil Dev leads the elite club with 5,248 runs and 434 wickets in 131 matches.

3rd Fastest to 200 wickets: Ashwin has achieved this feat of 200 Test wickets in just 37 matches, becoming the third fastest bowler to achieve this milestone after Pakistan’s Yasir Shah (33) and Australia’s CV Grimmett (36).

5th Most 10 wicket hauls: Ravichandran Ashwin has eight 10-wicket hauls to his name and is only behind Muralidharan (22), Warne (10), RJ Hadlee and Rangana Herath (9).

5th Most LBW Dismissals: Out of 507 scalps, Ravichandran Ashwin has picked 113 wickets in the form of Leg Before Wicket (LBW), the fifth most by any bowler after Kumble (156), Muralidharan (150), Warne (138) and Wasim Akram (119).

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