During the first Test match at Kanpur, the Indian off-spinner R. Ashwin entered the record books by completing his first set of 200 wickets in Test cricket. He became the ninth Indian bowler to do so but much importantly he became the fastest Indian bowler to reach this milestone. Along with that, he became the second fastest bowler in the world to take 200 wickets in Test cricket. A handy record but what if I tell you that he could have become fastest bowler to take 200 wickets and it was rain that played a spoilsport and prevented him from achieving the milestone.
The story goes back to the month of July/August 2016, when Indian team toured West Indies to play four Test matches which were followed by hurriedly organised 2 T20I’s. Not many of the people in India followed the Test series as the matches were played when Indian people used to have a deep sleep at night.
On that tour, Ashwin had a fair chance of becoming the fastest bowler in the world to claim 200 wickets but 14 washed out sessions snatched that chance from R. Ashwin.
Before that series, Ashwin had 176 wickets to his name and needed 24 wickets in 8 innings. He just needed 3 wickets/innings to equal the record of Clarrie Grimmett and was on the right track to do so as he had already scalped 16 wickets in 6 innings and was only 8 wickets away from the record before rain scuppered almost full Test match which snatched an opportunity from Ashwin to become the fastest bowler to achieve this record.
In a fourth Test match, it rained for just 2 days which was enough to ruin the rest of the game. Despite sunshine of day 4 and day 5, the groundsmen were not able to make the field ready for play and hence the match ended in a draw. Only 22 overs were bowled in the game.
The washout did not only cost Ashwin but also lead to the relegation of the Indian team and team India had to satisfy with number 2 spot in Test cricket and hence the ICC mace was presented to Pakistan.
It would have been better for rain to arrive 2 hours before as in that case the match would not have added to any of players or teams record and it would have lead to double delight for Indian cricket team but now history cannot be altered. Ashwin is delighted with his record and so is team India.