After becoming just the second Indian to collect 500 wickets in Test cricket, R Ashwin is happy with his feat and has no desire to surpass Anil Kumble’s 619 wicket national record.
In the last session of the second day, Ashwin got rid of England’s opener Zak Crawley and became just the seventh bowler in Test history to reach “Mount 500.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday for the “extraordinary milestone” of taking 500 Test wickets. Scroll down to read PM Modi On R Ashwin’s 500 Wickets In Test Cricket.
PM Modi On R Ashwin’s 500 Wickets In Test Cricket
Taking 500 Test wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin became the second Indian bowler ever and the ninth bowler in the world. The only other Indian player who has more wickets than the Tamil Nadu off-spinner is the illustrious Anil Kumble, who has 619 wickets.
On the second day of the Rajkot Test match against England, he achieved this feat by dismissing opener Zak Crawley. This ended the risky opening stand between Crawley and Ben Duckett, who scored an incredible 88 runs off just 88 balls to give England the advantage.
Not only did the cricket community heap Ravichandran Ashwin with compliments, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India did too.
Only two of the eight bowlers above the 37-year-old off-spinner on the wickets list have a better average than him. PM Modi showered the 37-year-old off-spinner with accolades for his amazing achievement of 500 Test wickets, recorded at an average of 23.94.
“Congratulations to Ravichandran Ashwin on the incredible milestone of taking 500 Test wickets! His path and achievements bear witness to his aptitude and tenacity. I’m sending him my best wishes as he ascends higher peaks. @ashwinravi99” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
R Ashwin On Surpassing Kumble’s Record
The 37-year-old Ashwin stated that he is not specifically trying to surpass Kumble’s record by pushing for more.
The straightforward response is no—120 wickets away. I want to live every day, and I’m thirty-seven years old. Following stumping on the second day, Ashwin told the media here, “I don’t know what’s in store next. For the next two months, what can we expect? You have no idea what’s next when you finish this series. I truly don’t want to jump the gun. For the past four to five years, I’ve maintained things this way since it’s straightforward and has worked for me. If something is working for you, why change it? Ashwin continued.
Ashwin reflected on his journey on one of the most memorable days of his career, saying all he could say was, “Not a bad achievement” when he looked back. It has been an arduous journey. Being an inadvertent spinner, I’m not sure where to start. All along, I wanted to be a batter. I had a chance in life. Muttiah Muralitharan refused to bowl (with) the new ball when I first entered the CSK dressing room, and eventually, I was thrown the new ball.
My life got off to a respectable first-class (cricket) start. The first-class career had been quite successful. Nevertheless, I gained a lot of visibility on the IPL stage and eventually made my test debut. Many didn’t think I could bowl in a Test match, so it’s not a bad accomplishment to reach that goal 10–13 years later. I’m kind of glad, he said.
Considering his attention to the current test, Ashwin did not seem to be one for large celebrations. Ashwin continued, “I believe that the Test match is hanging in the balance on the second day, at a very innocent period. It’s a great time to celebrate, probably go have dinner, and then reflect on it and how far I’ve come in life.”
Ashwin said that the Australian wicketkeeper had congratulated him after he too had reached 500 Test wickets in December. He stated, “In many ways, Nathan and I have been virtually interchangeable throughout our cricket careers. We made our debut around the same time. I recall what he did back then. I still recall what I did in those old days. My own has evolved a bit. Has somewhat changed. We’ve been fairly competitive with each other. I’m saying that about him because it’s been enjoyable to observe how he conducts himself, and that’s what he also says about me. It’s not simple to be a mainstay in your respective countries and a finger spinner. I congratulated him on finishing his 500 (wickets) lately. Ashwin said, “He just congratulated me.”
Although Ashwin claimed that he has battled perception for much of his career, he feels more at ease now.
“Throughout my life, I’ve battled with my perspective of other people’s opinions of me. However, for the past five or six years, I haven’t given it any thought. I can’t keep proving people wrong and right at the same time. I’m happy that some people are content while others are not,” he remarked.
“But I must be content. I want to stay in this incredibly wonderful place where I am right now in my life. My affection for the game is something I can’t let go of. I was at a really bad place once in my life. I didn’t want to watch the game, and I don’t want to live my life there ever again,” he remarked.
“I enjoy watching the game. Even last night, I watched the third ODI highlights between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. I saw New Zealand play South Africa live, and that’s who I want to be,” he exclaimed.
According to Ashwin, the wicket will still be suitable for batting in the third Test, assuming the fissures do not flare up. “Rajkot is feeling like a normal, regular wicket right now, and it will only become slower. The deviation you are observing is turning, but it is doing so very slowly. The wicket will continue to be fairly decent for batting the way the game is going if the fissures don’t open up,” he continued.
R Ashwin Enters 500 Wicket Club
During the third Test match against England on Friday, Ravichandran Ashwin became the second bowler from India, after Anil Kumble, to reach 500 Test wickets. This achievement holds great significance for the veteran off-spinner, who went through a period where he was unsure of how to escape the “dark tunnel” he had fallen into.
In addition, Ashwin is currently the second-highest wicket-taker for India behind Kumble, who finished his career with 619 scalps. Kumble is the only other off-spinner to have accomplished the feat.
On the second day of the current test, the 37-year-old achieved the milestone. Zak Crawley, the opener, misplayed a sweep, and Rajat Patidar was there to catch it at short fine, giving him the one wicket he needed to accomplish the feat.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s will to succeed and grow has always been fundamental to who he is, but from 2018 to 2019, the star spinner thought his career was gone, let alone considering attempting to take 500 Test wickets.
Speaking about the lowest point in his career—when he thought he was hitting a “bottomless pit”—Ashwin was playing in his 98th Test.
