IND vs ENG: Anil Kumble sets new target for Ravi Ashwin after he completes 500 test wickets

Ravi Ashwin is second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble to notch up 500 test wickets.

In the ongoing third test match at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Indian veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin achieved a historic feat of 500 test wickets on February 16, Friday. The 37-year-old Indian cricketer became the second-fastest overall and fastest Indian bowler to claim 500 test wickets. Ashwin reached this iconic milestone after dismissing England’s Zak Crawley on day 2 of the Rajkot test on Friday.

Overall, the fastest player to take 500 test wickets was Sri Lanka’s legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who breached the 500 wicket mark in his 87th test match. For India, leg-spinner Anil Kumble was holding the record, achieving the historic feat in his 105 test matches, before Ashwin surpassed him by taking just 98 test games.

Bowlers fastest to reach 500 test wickets:

• Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) in 87 matches
• Ravichandran Ashwin (India) in 98 matches
• Anil Kumble (India) in 105 matches
• Shane Warne (Australia) in 108 matches
• Glenn McGrath (Australia) in 110 matches
• Courtney Walsh (West Indies) in 129 matches
• James Anderson (England) in 129 matches
• Stuart Broad (England) in 140 matches

The 37-year-old Ashwin, who is in the last phase of his test cricketing career, became only the fifth spinner to reach this 500-wicket landmark in the history of test cricket. Overall, the Indian all-rounder is the only ninth bowler to take 500 or more test wickets.

However, after stumps on day 2 of the IND vs ENG third test, legendary cricketer and former Indian skipper Anil Kumble has set a new target for Ashwin.

“You should be finishing around 625 or 630, not below that,” said Anil Kumble on JioCinema after stumps on Day 2 to Ravi Ashwin.

Interestingly, Ravichandran Ashwin once revealed that he wants to retire when he reaches 618 test wickets, as he doesn’t want to break legendary cricketer Anil Kumble’s historic record of 619 wickets.

“I am a big fan of Anil Kumble and he has got 619 wickets. If I get to 618 wickets, I will be very thankful too and, and if I get to 618, that will be my last Test match,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by Gulf News in 2017.

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