India vs England 4th Test: Ashwin now has a chance to break Kumble’s long-standing record for the most wickets in Test matches in India.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is on the verge of breaking yet another Anil Kumble record. After becoming only the second Indian after Kumble to go past 500 Test wickets – and the fastest to do so – in Visakhapatnam, Ashwin now has a chance to break Kumble’s long-standing record for the most wickets in Test matches played in India when the hosts take on England in the all-important fourth Test match at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on Friday.
Ashwin, who became the second fastest to claim 500 Test wickets after the legendary Muttiah Muralidaran, needs only three wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in India. Ashwin currently has 348 wickets in 113 innings in India at an average of 21.31. He is just two wickets behind the leader Kumble, who had taken 350 wickets in 115 innings at an average of 24.88.
The third on the list is Harbhajan Singh with 265 wickets in 103 innings followed by Kapil Dev (219 wickets in 119 innings) and Ravindra Jadeja (206 wickets in 83 innings).
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If Ashwin manages to grab a couple of wickets in Ranchi, which in all probability, he will, the off-spinner will become only the fifth bowler to take 350 home wickets, after Muttiah Muralidaran, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Anil Kumble.
In terms of average, Ashwin is in the top six among bowlers who have taken more than 200 Test wickets at home. To put Ashwin’s performance in Test cricket into perspective, only Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon (509) has taken more wickets since Ashwin’s debut. Lyon has taken 509 wickets but has played 25 more Tests than Ashwin.
The off-spinner had to rush back home in the middle of the third Test due to a family emergency. He came back on Day 4 and picked up a wicket in England’s second innings as India won the match by a whopping 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
In pace-ace Jasprit Bumrah’s absence – rested to manage workload – Ashwin’s role will become ever so crucial in the fourth Test that could decide the outcome of this series.
Records and milestones that can be achieved in India vs England 4th Test
James Anderson four scalps away from 700 Test scalps
With 696 wickets in 185 Tests, the ageless pace wonder of England just four more away from becoming the first-ever pacer to get 700 Test scalps. Only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800) of Sri Lanka and Shane Warne (708) have taken more wickets. Anderson has taken six wickets in two matches of the series so far.
Stokes just three wickets short of a unique double
If Ben Stokes finally bowls, he will have to take just three wickets to reach 200 Test wickets. With that, he will join the elite company of West Indies legend Garry Sobers and South Africa legend Jacques Kallis to have 6,000-plus Test runs and 200 Test wickets. Besides 197 wickets, Stokes has 6,037 runs in 100 Tests at an average of 36.24, with 13 centuries and 31 fifties. His best score is 258. In the ongoing series, he has made 190 runs in six innings at an average of 31.66.
Rohit Sharma 23 runs away from 4,000 Test runs
One of the modern all-time greats across all formats, the Indian skipper is 23 runs away from 4,000 Test runs. In 57 Tests, he has 3,977 runs at an average of 45.19, with 11 centuries and 16 fifties. His best score is 212. In three matches so far, Rohit has scored 240 runs at an average of 40 in six innings with one century. His best score is 131.