3 reasons why Ravichandran Ashwin will be the fastest Indian to take 500 test wickets

Ever since he first donned the whites for India back in 2011, Ravichandran Ashwin has been an asset to the nation's test squad. Having now featured in 89 test matches, the Tamil Nadu spinner has picked up 452 wickets at a sensational average of 24.23.

There is no doubt about Ashwin's class in home conditions but in the last couple of years, he has come into his own in overseas games as well.

In the ongoing first test of the Border Gavaskar series between India and Australia, Ashwin reached the landmark of 450 test wickets, becoming the fastest Indian to do so. He is also the fastest Indian to reach the mark of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 wickets respectively, which is a massive achievement.

His next target will be the 500 mark. Here, we look at three reasons why the crafty spinner will be the fastest Indian to pick up 500 test scalps.

#1 Picks up 50 wickets in every nine tests on an average

The only Indian to pick up 500 test wickets for India is Anil Kumble, one of the best spinners to have ever graced the game. Kumble reached the milestone in his 105th test when he picked up the wicket of Steve Harmison in a test match against England in 2006.

Ashwin has 452 wickets in 89 games and there is still an inning left in the ongoing test against Australia. So, on average, he picks up 50 wickets in every nine tests or so. Ashwin will become the fastest to the 500 mark if he manages to do so by his 104th appearance, which means that he has more than 14 games to do so.

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#2 Upcoming schedule

There are three more test matches to go in the Border Gavaskar series and we all know how lethal Ashwin is in home conditions. As part of their future tours program, India will play two test matches against the West Indies in the Caribbean after the World Test Championship final later this year. Ashwin has a phenomenal record against the West Indies who have struggled to pick him over the years.

Then in early 2024, India will host England for a 5-match test series and as is the case against most teams, Ashwin enjoys bowling against the Englishmen as well, especially in India. Looking at the upcoming challenges and the favorable record that Ashwin has against the opponents, he could well reach the 500 mark in a jiffy.

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#3 Current form

Ashwin has looked in good touch in the first innings of the ongoing Nagpur test which bodes well for him to reach the 500 mark soon. He picked up three wickets, one of them being of the well-set and promising Alex Carey.

He had a good run in recent tests in Bangladesh as well and it's safe to say that he was unlucky on a few occasions not to have picked up more wickets. Ashwin has loads of experience and a bag of tricks up his sleeve, which makes him a tough challenge for batters around the world.