Ashwin Gears Up for a Historic 100th Test Match

It seems like R. Ashwin is always about to pick up some new milestones and etch his name over some new record playing Test cricket in this World Test Championship (WTC)2023-25.

Ashwin, India’s star all-rounder, is again on the border of adding another major milestone in his rich  Test career. The upcoming fifth and final Test against England will be Ashwin’s 100th Test match, a remarkable achievement for any cricketer.  This achievement places Ashwin among an elite group of cricketers. He will become the 77th player in history and the 14th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches. The last Indian player to reach this milestone was Cheteshwar Pujara in 2023, in the second Test match of the Border-Gavaskar series in New Delhi.

The Indian off-spinner Ashwin will play his 100th Test match in the fifth and final game of the contest at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.

Ashwin’s debut came in 2011, and since then, he has established himself as a true legend of the game.  He isn’t just a great bowler; he’s also a valuable batsman. With the bat, Ashwin has scored over 3,300 runs, including five centuries and 14 fifties in 140 innings. But it’s his bowling that truly sets him apart. He has taken an incredible 507 wickets in his Test career, averaging just over 23 runs per wicket in 187 innings. This puts him in a special category of all-rounders who have achieved both 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests. The only other Indian cricketer to achieve this feat is the legendary Kapil Dev, with 5248 runs and 434 wickets in 131 appearances.

The upcoming Test match also presents Ashwin with a chance to break another record. Currently tied with Anil Kumble for the most five-wicket hauls by an Indian bowler in Tests (35) in just 99 matches. Ashwin picked up his 35th wicket in the fourth Test of the ongoing five-match series against England in Ranchi. Ashwin needs just one more five-wicket haul to surpass Kumble and become the outright leader. This would further jump his reputation as a match-winner, especially considering 27 of his five-wicket hauls have come on home soil.

Ashwin’s dominance on the Indian soil is unmatched. He recently overtook Kumble as the leading wicket-taker in Tests played in India, with a staggering 354 scalps in 59 home matches at an exceptional average of just over 21 runs per wicket. He’s also the fastest Indian bowler to reach 400 Test wickets in Asia.

With over 500 wickets in total, numerous five-wicket hauls, and some crucial contributions with the bat, Ashwin’s Test career is truly special, making him an invaluable asset to the Indian team. As he prepares for his 100th Test, there’s no doubt that Ashwin’s legacy as one of India’s greatest Test cricketers is already secure.

INDIA’s 100 TEST CLUB

PLAYERS	TESTS	RUNS	WICKETS
Sachin Tendulkar	200	15,921	46
Rahul Dravid	163	13,265	01
Anil Kumble	132	2,506	619
Sunil Gavaskar	125	10,122	01
Dilip Vengsarkar	116	6,868	00
Sourav Ganguly	113	7,212	32
Virat Kohli	105	8,131	00
Ishant Sharma	104	785	311
Harbhajan Singh	103	2,224	417
Virender Sehwag	103	8,503	40
Cheteshwar Pujara	103	7,195	00