It was so near and yet so far in Vizag. It had to happen in Rajkot, and it did on the second day of the third Test between India and England. Ravichandran Ashwin became the second Indian to take 500 Test wickets, when he dismissed Zak Crawley and went into the embrace of his team-mates.
A full-length delivery down leg-side that the England opener tried to sweep, but top-edged to Rajat Patidar at short fine leg. Ashwin raised his hand to acknowledge the crowd. In the pavilion, Rahul Dravid stood up to applaud. The occasion demanded a bigger turnout, but those who were present at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Friday witnessed a special moment. Ashwin had bowled 25,714 deliveries to reach the landmark.
A tally of 500 wickets over 98 Tests attests to his longevity and sustained brilliance. Only last year, he became the first Indian to dismiss both a father and a son in Test cricket. In 2011, when Ashwin was a callow newcomer, he had dismissed former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul. In 2023, he accounted for Shivnarine’s son, Tagenarine.
EXCLUSIVE: 500 Test wickets for #RavichandranAshwin!
The Indian spin maestro becomes the second Indian, after Anil Kumble, and second-fastest overall, after Muttiah Muralitharan, to achieve the historic feat.
Listen in and dive deep into @ashwinravi99‘s mind!#INDvsENGTest pic.twitter.com/4ANG0OY033
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 16, 2024
Ashwin has always been a fighter. Some former players (read, spinners) took his variations with a pinch of salt during the off-spinner’s first few years in international cricket. A former great, while talking to this correspondent many moons ago, had spoken about how Ashwin should follow Graeme Swann’s style of off-spin bowling, rather than focusing on carrom ball and other “crazy variations”. Even today, the 37-year-old remains the team’s second choice in overseas Tests, when only one spinner is picked.
The World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval last year was a case in point, with India fielding only Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin warming the bench. In hindsight, it was a wrong decision, for the offie was sorely missed when left-hand batter Travis Head broke the shackles and took the game away from India.
Of course, there’s some merit to the criticism that Ashwin becomes a little less effective on flatter pitches. Stats corroborate that. In 57 Tests before this at home, Ashwin took 346 wickets at an average of 21.27. On the other hand, in 39 Tests away from home, he has bagged 149 scalps at an average of 30.40. In SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries, he has played 25 Tests, taking 71 wickets, a tally which is less than three wickets per game.
🚨 Milestone 🚨
Ravichandran Ashwin is now only the second Indian to take 500 Test wickets
Anil Kumble – 619 in 236 inns
Ashwin – 500* in 184 innsDismissed so far ⬇️
Right-handed batters – 251 times
Left-handed batters – 249 times📸 @debasissen #RavichandranAshwin… pic.twitter.com/zFbBGzctvU
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 16, 2024
Over the last few years, however, Ashwin has looked a changed bowler even in unfavourable conditions. The Sydney Test in 2019 was a slap on the wrist, when Kuldeep Yadav took a fifer and then India coach Ravi Shastri called the left-arm wrist-spin bowler the team’s “No.1 spinner” in overseas matches. Back then, Ashwin was struggling with injuries, and had somewhat lost his rhythm. But he took Shastri’s comment as a personal slight, spent more time at the nets, implored then India bowling coach Bharat Arun to take him out of his comfort zone and reinvented himself. That’s what champions do.
How does Ashwin’s mind work, when he is bowling? About seven months ago, during a conversation with former West Indies cricketers Ian Bishop and Samuel Badree, the offie gave an insight into his thought process, about falling into a rhythm, looking for different angles, deciding on the trajectory and assessing the pitch. “I am thinking constantly like a batter when I am bowling,” he had said. There have been many facets to his bowling. It is like peeling the layers to reach an optimal point that brings a wicket.
Does he occasionally get too technical with his bowling and over-analyse? From a distance, it might feel like that, especially when things are not going his way. But Ashwin has revelled in his methods and the whole process has brought him 500 Test wickets. Also, he is an off-spinner who has bowled in half-sleeves, barely using his wrist, unlike Muttiah Muralitharan, for example.
A cricketer with a degree, Ashwin is never shy of expressing his opinion on various issues, be it Mankading or taking an extra run after the ball has ricocheted off the bat. He speaks about social issues and runs a very popular YouTube channel. Ashwin didn’t hesitate to laud Australia’s tactical masterclass in the 50-over World Cup final last November, despite finishing on the losing side. With a cricket ball in his hand, off-spin becomes an intellectual exercise.