Birthday Boy Ravichandran Ashwin eyes several dignified records in red-ball cricket ahead of the beginning of a hectic Test schedule for India.
India is welcoming an intense battle of red-ball action as they begin their long-scheduled Test series with the first against Bangladesh, which is a two-match series at home from the 19th of September.
India will next host New Zealand for a three-match series in red-ball cricket, again at home, before they set away for the much-anticipated tour to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Indian team has assembled at the MA Chidambaram Stadium ahead of the first test for a practice season.
The series is very crucial from India’s point of view, as being the top-ranked Test side and also leading the WTC points table for the third consecutive time, as they look to be in the hunt for their spot in the third consecutive WTC final.
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India was an eminent part of the previous two WTC finals, first against New Zealand, which they lost in 2021, then against the mighty Australians in 2023, which also didn’t go in India’s favour. To qualify for the finals, India would still need to win 5 of their 10 remaining games, and since the BGT would be a tough nut to crack, India would look to appeal in the home tests.
Since the matches are scheduled to be played under home conditions, which is a subcontinent track, hence it is helpful for spinners. With Bangladesh also mostly relying on their spin attack, India would now pin their hopes on spinners as Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and the great Ravi Ashwin make a comeback to the cricket field.
Ravichandran Ashwin has been not only India’s but also the world’s best among bowlers, both pacers and spinners, as he was the fastest to 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 test wickets. Ashwin has starred in the least of matches for this amazing feat.
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Records Ashwin might eye in the next 10 Test matches
Emerging as the highest wicket-taker in the WTC
Nathan Lyon currently is the leader among most wicket-takers in the red ball matches, as he picked 187 wickets in the WTC.
Next following him is the Aussie skipper Pat Cummins, who is the second highest wicket-getter in the format and also the tournament since his arrival in tests, as he has 175 wickets. Next, he is followed by Ravi Ashwin, who sits behind Cummins in the elite list with 174 wickets.
He is just 14 wickets behind Lyon, as he can emerge as the highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game under the WTC cycle.
Nearing 200 WTC wickets
Also, Ashwin can emerge as the record first-highest wicket-taker in the history of WTC, as he is just 26 wickets away from being the first ever to reach 200 wickets in the World Test Championship.
Ashwin is also India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, only behind Anil Kumble, and also among the nine bowlers in cricket history who have picked more than 500 wickets in red-ball games.