Ravichandran Ashwin Set For A Memorable Century

After breaching the 500-wicket mark in Test cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin is on the verge of another magnificent landmark of turning out in 100 Tests. The 37-year-old is set to play his 100th Test against England in Dharamsala on March 7. The significance of the fantastic feat gets enhanced when one takes into account the fact that only 76 cricketers (from 3174) have been capped in 100 Tests and more. For some reason or the other Ashwin did not feature in 24 Tests after his debut against the West Indies in November 2011. The tall off-break bowler who bowls the stock ball (turning from off to leg) and many variations, is only the eighth spinner who has taken 100 wickets and more to reach the magic marking of 100 Tests. The others are Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nathan Lyon, Harbhajan Singh, Daniel Vettori, Anil Kumble and Carl Hooper. He will be the 14th Indian to compete in Test cricket for such a long time. Ashwin has not only excelled with the ball taking 507 wickets (354 at home and 153 abroad in 40 Tests which is the second highest after Kumble’s 269 wickets in 69 Tests overseas), but he has also scored 3309 runs with five centuries and 14 half-centuries. He has held 33 catches. 100 Test caps is a remarkable feat his family, the cricketing fraternity in his home State of Tamil Nadu and India will be proud of. He has been part of 58 Test wins, the highest by any Indian bowler.