Between 499 and 500, there was a review. On-field umpire Chris Gaffaney had declared Tom Hartley out, caught by Rohit Sharma, running around the ‘keeper. 500 Test wickets for Ravichandran Ashwin! No, it wasn’t. So near, and yet so far.
Hartley tried to reverse-sweep and replays showed the ball came off the arm. TV umpire Paul Reiffel still checked for lbw, and it showed umpire’s call. Ashwin inquired with Gaffaney, if his decision stood for lbw as well. It didn’t. Eventually, as India secured a 106-run win over England in Vizag, Ashwin was left stranded on 499.
It was heartening to see Rohit not asking Jasprit Bumrah to bowl wide outside off stump, while bringing on Ashwin from the other end after England lost their ninth wicket. The skipper gave importance to the collective, instead of falling for an individual achievement. Indian cricket of yore didn’t always think that way. Things have changed. Winning was more important. Also, offering Ashwin a freebie would have been disrespectful to the great bowler. The 37-year-old will get to 500 in the ongoing series, very likely in the next Test in Rajkot. And as he stands on the cusp, it’s time to celebrate a ‘spin scientist’ despite him not reaching the milestone as yet.
Things looked different five years ago, when Ashwin was staring at an uncertain future. Injuries had been a reason, and on form also, Kuldeep Yadav had trumped him in India’s spin pecking order. In 2018-2019, as India emphatically won their first-ever Test series in Australia, the team’s senior off-spinner cut a peripheral figure.
Kuldeep was fresh from a five-for in Sydney and Ravi Shastri, then India coach, decided to turn the screw on Ashwin. “I was very impressed with the way Kuldeep bowled in Sydney,” said Shastri. “Even in Test cricket, it is going to be the age of wrist-spin, especially in overseas Test cricket. The way he bowled in Sydney, he becomes our No. 1 spinner in overseas Test cricket.”
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Each time the captain needs a wicket and has bestowed the duties to Ravi Ashwin, he has delivered.
499 test wickets and counting, Ashwin’s first in Rajkot will be special!
Listen to @ashwinravi99 speaking about his philosophy of the game, on his mindset of facing… pic.twitter.com/qwpTW6C8oH
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It was part of the head coach’s tough love for a bowler who still had a lot to offer to Indian cricket. Ashwin didn’t take too kindly to Shastri’s words back then. His pride was hurt. Now, as he is set to become the second Indian bowler to take 500 Test wickets, it feels like Ashwin needed a slap on the wrist during the period of sterility. It allowed him to introspect and reinvent himself. It made him determined to get out of his comfort zone.
Also Read: Utterly Unique Bumrah Holds Key to This Series
For a long time, Ashwin had to deal with the fact that good pitches made him less effective. Even today, he loses out to Ravindra Jadeja in overseas Tests, when only one spinner is picked. But Ashwin remains tireless, going through a continuous process of regeneration. Only last year, he came up with a different variation of the carrom ball, one that he undercuts and imparts backspin. The Vizag Test saw him change his trajectory and use the flight more to counter sweeps and reverse-sweeps from the England batters.
He came to the game with 496 wickets in his bag and went wicketless in the first innings. His ‘partner in crime’, Jadeja, had predicted that Ashwin would reach the milestone in the first Test. Never mind that it’s taking a bit more time, for this is worth the wait.
The journey from 496 to 499 during England’s second innings in the second Test was more or less smooth. An off-break accounted for Ben Duckett as the batter inside-edged it onto the pads, with wicketkeeper KS Bharat taking a smart diving catch.
Ollie Pope was next, Ashwin’s first scalp on the fourth day; deceived by the lack of turn and a bit of extra bounce. Joe Root fell prey to an ugly hoick, his ultra-aggressive approach not working against the master off-spinner.
A tally of 499 wickets in 97 Tests… Where does Ashwin rank among the all-time great off-spinners? To start with, it would be wrong to compare eras. Before Ashwin, India had Harbhajan Singh – 417 wickets from 103 Tests. And long before him, we had Erapalli Prasanna. To judge the craftsman from Karnataka by the hard numbers would be preposterous – 189 scalps from 49 Tests. Prasanna could make the ball talk in the air, and was someone whom former Australia captain Ian Chappell called the “finest” he ever faced.
As for Ashwin, a cricketer is judged by the respect from his peers. And talking recently to cricket.com.au, Nathan Lyon was all praise for his Indian counterpart. “We have gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world,” said Lyon, who himself went past 500 wickets last December. “I have definitely learned from him (Ashwin). There’s an opportunity to learn from the people you play against, and without knowing it he’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way.”
Ashwin is now closer to 40, but going by his current form, it feels like he should continue as long as his body allows him the rigours of international cricket. He is ageing gracefully, like fine wine.
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