Stats: Ravichandran Ashwin Becomes Fastest Bowler to Reach 300 Test Wickets

Premier Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin scripted history on Monday after the offie became the fastest bowler to reach 300 Test wickets after he bagged the wicket of Lahiru Gamage to hand India their largest Test victory by an innings and 239 runs. He has been a champion bowler for the No 1 Test team in the world especially in home conditions, and his record is just a proof of the number of wickets he has bagged in the past 24 months.

The spinners went wicketless in the opening Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, but both the spinners Ashwin and Jadeja rose to the occasion and got back to wicket-taking form. Ashwin was at his best in both the innings as he bagged four each in the two innings. Like most of the times, he kept on bowling in the right areas, and the got the rewards.

He was also turning the ball sharply and using different variations to bamboozle the batsmen. It is undoubtedly a great feat achieved by the offie, but he will face the real test once India travels South Africa for a full series starting early in January. Captain Virat Kohli has conceded that he can’t guarantee the fact that both the spinners will be part of the playing XI in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Ashwin went past the former Australian great Dennis Lillee who had achieved the feat in 56 Tests to Ashwin’s 54. Former Sri Lankan legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is 3^rd in the list who took 58 Tests to bag 300 wickets. Sir Richard Hadlee who was arguably the best exponent of swing bowling along with legendary West Indies fast bowler Malcolm Marshal bagged their 300^th wicket in their 61^st match.

The hosts outplayed the Lankans in all three departments of the game from the very first ball of the match, and there was no way back for the islanders. Skipper Virat Kohli scored a sensational double century while comeback man Murali Vijay and Rohit Sharma also scored their 10^th and 3^rd century respectively. Cheteshwar Pujara also chipped in a with a brilliant hundred as they romped home by an innings and 239 runs which is their joint largest victory in Test cricket.