Rajkot: India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his 500th Test wicket on day two of the third match against England to become just the ninth bowler to make the feat. Ashwin, an off-spinner who began the Test on 499 wickets, dismissed Zak Crawley in Rajkot. He is only the second Indian to reach the milestone after fellow spinner Anil Kumble (619).
Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan leads the list with 800 Test wickets, followed by late Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne. Ashwin becomes the fifth spinner to join the elite group and the other four being fast bowlers James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh.
Five penalty runs
Fast bowler Mark Wood finished with four wickets as England dismissed India for 445 on day two of the third Test in Rajkot on Friday.
Ashwin (37) and debutant Dhruv Jurel (46) put on a stubborn eighth-wicket stand of 77 before England wrapped up the Indian innings in the second session.
The tourists began on five for no loss after India were penalised for Ashwin running on the danger area of the pitch, earning a reprimand by on-field umpire Joel Wilson.
Early wickets
India lost two early wickets but Ashwin and Jurel batted with patience and occasional boundaries to tackle a persistent England attack, which was rotated by skipper Ben Stokes in his landmark 100th Test.
Rehan Ahmed sent back Ashwin with his leg-spin in the afternoon session and then got Jurel caught behind on a delivery that pitched and turned sharply.
No 10 Jasprit Bumrah hit a breezy 26 to frustrate England before Wood got him lbw to finish 4-114 after his three strikes on day one.
Shane Warne (Australia) 708
James Anderson (England) 696
Anil Kumble (India) 619
Stuart Broad (England) 604
Glenn McGrath (Australia) 563
Courtney Walsh (West Indies) 519
Nathan Lyon (Australia) 517
Ravichandran Ashwin (India) 500
700-wicket mark
Fast bowler Anderson struck first to get nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav caught behind for four. Anderson moved to 696 Test wickets over 185 matches since his 2003 debut.
The 41-year-old seamer is poised to become only the third bowler in history to reach 700 wickets after Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan and spin wizard Warne (708).
Part-time spinner Joe Root had overnight centurion Jadeja caught and bowled on 112 as the hosts lost two wickets in the first five overs of the day.
The five-Test series is level at 1-1 after England won the opener in Hyderabad and India bounced back in the second match.
