As the World’s No.1 ranked Test side India take on a depleted Bangladesh unit in the first Test match in Indore, Ravichandran Ashwin is on the cusp of reaching another milestone.
Ashwin is one wicket away to complete his 250 Test wickets at home. He is getting ready to become the third Indian bowler and 10th overall bowler add his name into another elite list.
In the overall record, a total of five spinners and four pacers have taken 250+ Test wickets at home. If Ashwin achieves this feat, he will become the joint-fastest bowler (in terms of the number of matches) to complete 250 Test wickets at home.
It will mean that Ashwin took 42 home Tests and the present fastest record in this list is also 42 home Test matches - held by Muttiah Muralitharan.
The legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner is holding the record of fastest 250 Test wickets at home. Muralitharan achieved this feat in 42 home Tests, and Ashwin is chasing to catch him.
In 41 Tests on home soil, Ashwin has claimed 249 wickets at an average of 22.84 which includes a colossal 21 five-wicket hauls. In overseas conditions, he has taken 108 wickets at 31.39.
He is fifth on the list of bowlers (357 wickets) with the most number of dismissals in this decade; a list spearheaded by England’s James Anderson, who has claimed 427 wickets in 105 Tests.
Ashwin had earlier equalled Muralitharan’s record of being the fastest to claim 350 Test wickets (in 66 Tests) in the recently concluded Test series against South Africa.
As far as taking wickets in India is concerned, the list is led by former champion leg-spinner and captain Anil Kumble - who picked up 350 wickets - and followed by Harbhajan Singh with 265 scalps.
