Masterful Ashwin spins a web of records with 700 first-class wickets and counting
Ravichandran has been in fine form in the ongoing series vs the Aussies (Twitter)
Ravichandran Ashwin, the canny Indian off-spinner, has scaled a significant peak in his illustrious cricketing career by completing the haul of 700 first-class wickets during the second Test against Australia in the high-voltage Border-Gavaskar Trophy held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday.
The seasoned campaigner attained the landmark when he bamboozled Marnus Labuschagne with a delightful delivery that trapped him in front of the wicket.
Ashwin followed it up by inflicting a twin blow on the visitors, as he outfoxed the formidable Steve Smith with another delectable delivery in his very next over.
After suffering a humbling defeat in the previous Test, the Australian team had started on a promising note, with the southpaw opener David Warner’s dismissal the only setback in their brisk start.
Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne were mounting a positive challenge in their constructive partnership for the second wicket.
However, the crafty off-spinner from Chennai single-handedly turned the tide of the contest with his irresistible spell that shattered the middle-order of the tourists in a jiffy.
Ashwin’s prodigious feat of 700 first-class wickets reaffirms his credentials as one of the finest exponents of the art of spin bowling in contemporary cricket.
In the first Test held at Nagpur, the 36-year-old had wreaked havoc on the Australian batsmen by snaring eight wickets in total, with three scalps in the first innings and five in the second.
Ashwin’s menace with the ball has been looming large on the Australian team ever since they boarded the flight to India, as evident from their recourse to Mahesh Pithiya’s tutelage to counter the veteran spinner’s repertoire.
In the current ICC Test rankings, Ashwin holds the enviable second spot in both the bowlers’ and all-rounders’ charts, which underscores his multidimensional skill set and enduring consistency.
Moreover, his tally of 99 Test wickets against Australia, including those on home soil and overseas, reinforces his stature as a formidable opponent for the Kangaroos.
If the Indian veteran manages to claim one more scalp in the second Test in Delhi, which seems obvious given his current form, he will join the pantheon of elite bowlers to have taken 100 or more wickets against a specific opponent in Test cricket.
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