Ravichandran Ashwin joins 300 club: numbers behind his record-breaking exploits

Ravichandran Ashwin bettered Dennis Lillee’s record of fewest matches to get 300 Test wickets exactly 36 years after the Australian great made the record his own.

india vs sri lanka 2017 Updated: Nov 27, 2017 20:46 IST

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India vs Sri Lanka,Indian cricket team,Sri Lanka

Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Dilruwan Perera during the fourth day of the second Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Ashwin became the quickest bowler to take 300 Test wickets, surpassing Denis Lillee’s record. (AFP)

Ravichandran Ashwin shattered Dennis Lillee’s long-standing record of fewest matches taken to claim 300 Test wickets in a crushingdefeat of Sri Lanka on Monday. (IND v SL 2nd Test report)

Ashwin took 4-63 in his 54th Test after also claimingfour wickets in the first innings as Sri Lanka were dismissed for only 166, losingby an innings and 239 runs in Nagpur on day four. (IND v SL 2nd Test Day 4 highlights) (Full scorecard)

Lillee reached the landmark in his 56th match, 36 years ago to the day that Ashwin bettered the Australia great’s exploits.

Ashwin has bamboozled some of the world’s best batsman since making his Test debut six years ago.

Here we look at the numbers behind the 31-year-old’sincredible achievement.

300th test wicket at the Jamtha (Nagpur) ,a memorable day. Thank you all@imVkohli look forward to the next 18 months. pic.twitter.com/hjtdVXndSI
— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) November 27, 2017

- This is the third consecutive year in which Ashwin has taken over 50 Test wickets - last year being his most successful with 72 scalps.

- He has claimed 216 of his 300 dismissals on home soil in 34 matches, compared to 84 from 20 overseas.

- Ashwin has taken considerably more wickets against Australia than other opponentin the longest format, claiming 71 from 14 matches.

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- His best average with the ball is against South Africa, taking 31 wickets in only five matches at 14.61 apiece.

- David Warner is the batsman who has suffered the most against Ashwin in Tests, falling to the spinner nine times with Alastair Cook and Ed Cowan not far behind on seven.

- As many as 163 of his dismissals have been catches, with 59 bowled, 71 leg before and just the seven stumped.

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- The third innings has been Ashwin’s most profitable, taking 96 wickets. He has an impressive average of only 16.01 in taking 59 wickets in the fourthinnings of Tests.

- It is only 14 months agothat Ashwin reached the 200 wicket mark by dismissing New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

First Published: Nov 27, 2017 20:45 IST