Motera Stadium will be hosting the day-night Test between India and England from today and before second Test hero R Ashwin is on the verge of breaking another huge record.
Ashwin, who currently has 394 Test wickets, will be aiming to become the second-fastest bowler to pick up 400 wickets when he faces England at the newly-built Sardar Patel Stadium from Wednesday (February 24).
If Ashwin picks up six or more wickets in the Pink-ball Test, he will beat the likes of New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee and Dale Steyn of South Africa, who are tied at the second position. Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan is at the top of the list as he took 72 Tests to claim 400 wickets.
Steyn and Hadlee have taken 80 Tests to touch the 400-mark and if Ashwin joins the club in the Day-Night Test, he would reach the mark in his 77th Test.
The 34-year-old will also become the sixth spinner to take 400 wickets and will be only the third Indian spinner to get to the mark after Anil Kumble (619) and Harbhajan Singh (417).
In the second Test at Chepauk, Ashwin had already surpassed Harbhajan to become the second most prolific spinner for India at home.
He has 266 wickets to his name at home in just 45 Tests at an average of 22.64. Former India captain Kumble leads the list with 350 wickets from 62 matches in India.
Visiting skipper Joe Root had even described the India off-spinner as a ‘world-class performer’ in all conditions. He had already taken 17 wickets in the series and is expected to add more to his kitty in the third Test.
“Yeah, he (Ashwin) is a world-class performer. I think it’s been quite tricky for everyone but as you mentioned, in particular, the left-handers is against him… because you know how skilful he is, how good his record is against left-handers in world cricket,” Root said.
