IND vs ENG 2nd Test 2024: Will R Ashwin reach 500 wickets in Vizag?

Ashwin has taken 496 wickets in 96 matches before appearing in his 97th Test against England in Visakhapatnam

Ravichandran Ashwin is just four wickets away from a milestone of 500 wickets in Test cricket. With 496 wickets in 96 matches, all eyes will be on the Tamil Nadu spinner when he takes the cherry in the Vizag Test. 
 

Ashwin, if he can take four wickets during India vs England 2nd Test, will become the first Indian after Anil Kumble to take 500 Test wickets in international cricket. Ashwin is playing his 97th Test and in the first innings of Hyderabad Test, he was the one who broke the 55-run opening partnership between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett by removing the latter leg before wicket.

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The 37-year-old got two more wickets as he removed Crawley and Mark Wood to reach the tally of 493 wickets. He claimed three wickets in the second innings of first Test but can't stop Ollie Pope during his magnificient 196 runs. 

Second fastest to 500 Test wickets 

If the Indian off-spinner can claim the feat, he would become only the second bowler after Sri Lanka’s Muttaiah Muralidaran to get to the feat in less than 100 Tests. Murali reached 500 wickets in only 87 matches. Ashwin, who has been the fastest Indian to reach 50, 100, 150, 200, 350, 400 and 450 Test wickets, is also the fastest in the world to reach 250 and 300 Test wickets. 

Milestone Wickets	Against	Match	Year
50	England	9	2011
100	West Indies	18	2013
150	South Africa	29	2015
200	New Zealand	37	2016
250	Bangladesh	45	2017
300	Sri Lanka	54	2017
350	South Africa	66	2019
400	England	77	2021
450	Australia	89	2023

When did Ashwin complete his milestone wickets? 

While Ashwin reached 50 Test wickets in nine matches, he reached 100 Test wickets in 18 matches, 150 in 29 matches and 200 in 37 matches. The Tamil Nadu born set a world record by reaching 250 wickets in 45 matches and 300 wickets in 54 matches. He reached 350 Test wickets in 66 Tests and then took 11 more matches to get to 400 wickets in only his 77th Test match and reached the milestone of 450 Test wickets in his 89th Test.