Ashwin becomes the fastest bowler to claim 300 test wickets
When Ravichandran Ashwin scalped the wicket of Gamage today, he also became the fastest bowler to claim 300 wickets in just 54 test matches. He broke Dennis Lillee's record who had achieved this in 56-matches. Coincidentally, Lillee took his 300th wicket on 27th November in 1981. In addition to this, Ashwin holds other numerous records. Let us have a look at those feats.
Fastest to 250 wickets
This year has been phenomenal for Ashwin. It took him only 45 matches to claim 250 wickets in test cricket. In the process, he became the fastest bowler to take 250 wickets in the longest format of the game, once again surpassing Dennis Lillee. Ashwin achieved the feat during the Test match against Bangladesh when he picked up the wicket of captain Mushfiqur Rahim.
Most Test wickets in home season
It goes without saying that Ashwin is one of the most prolific wicket-takers in test cricket. It was not at all shocking when he broke Kapil Dev's record of most wickets in a home season. As he dismissed Mitchell Starc in earlier this year, Ashwin took his tally to 64 wickets in 10 Tests, thus surpassing Kapil's earlier mark of 63.
Most Test wickets in a single season
While Ashwin had already broken Kapil's record of most Test wickets in a home season, he achieved a different feat when he picked up the wicket of Steve Smith in the fourth Test match in February. He went past Dale Steyn's record of 78 wickets in a single season as he claimed 79 wickets in 13 Test matches at an average of 25.64.
Most number of wickets after 50 Tests
Soon after, Ashwin broke a 36-year-old record by claiming 275 wickets in just 50 Tests. Previously, Richard Hadlee held the record for most number of wickets after 50 Tests with 262 but Ashwin eclipsed him with comfortable ease. Ashwin's feat was achieved during the first Test match against in July this year.
Fastest to 25 five-wicket hauls in Tests
Ashwin took just 47 matches to register 25 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, thus making him the fastest to achieve the feat. Richard Hadlee held the previous record with 62 matches while, among the Indians, Anil Kumble took 25 five-fers in 86 matches. It would be appropriate to say that Ashwin broke the previous records by a long margin.
