World No. 1 Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin made history on Thursday, September 19, by becoming only the second cricketer globally to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC). The 38-year-old Chennai-based cricketer achieved this remarkable feat during the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
A Historic Achievement
Ashwin came out to bat at No. 8 for India and crossed the 52-run mark in the first innings, officially joining the elite club alongside fellow Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja was the first player to reach this milestone earlier this year during the fourth Test against England in Ranchi.
Currently, Ashwin boasts an impressive tally of 174 wickets in WTC history. While a total of 11 bowlers have taken more than 100 wickets in WTC, Ashwin and Jadeja remain the only players to have also scored over 1000 runs.
Eyes on Nathan Lyon’s Record
In addition to his recent achievement, Ashwin has set his sights on breaking Australian spinner Nathan Lyon’s record for the most wickets in WTC history. To surpass Lyon’s tally of 187 wickets, Ashwin needs just 14 more dismissals during the ongoing series against Bangladesh.
Furthermore, if Ashwin manages to secure at least one five-wicket haul in this series, he will become the first player to dismiss five or more batters in an inning 11 times in WTC history. With a total of 516 wickets to his name in Test cricket, Ashwin is also on track to break former West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh’s record of 519 wickets.
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Potential Records Within Reach
Ashwin’s pursuit of records does not stop there. He requires four more wickets in the ongoing Test to surpass Walsh’s mark and become the seventh leading wicket-taker in Test cricket history. Additionally, achieving a total of 15 wickets throughout this series will allow him to overtake Lyon’s tally of 530 wickets.
In the context of the current World Test Championship cycle (2023-25), Ashwin needs just ten wickets against Bangladesh to surpass Australia’s Josh Hazlewood’s tally of 51 wickets and become the leading wicket-taker for this cycle. Moreover, nine wickets would help him break Zaheer Khan’s record of 31 wickets and establish himself as the most successful bowler in Test matches played between India and Bangladesh.
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