5 Test records Ravichandran Ashwin can break in the home leg
India kick off their home season which consists of 13 Tests with a series against New Zealand before playing England, Bangladesh and Australia at home. And unsurprisingly, all eyes are on Ravichandran Ashwin, who is coming off the back off a fantastic last 18 months with the ball in the longest format of the game.
With 13 home Tests and conditions that favour spin bowling, it is safe to say that the Indian off-spinner will have his sights set on a record or two during the next few months. But what are the records that he could realistically break or have a good shot at breaking.
Here are 5 records Ravichandran Ashwin can break in the home leg:
Fastest Asian bowler to take 200 Test wickets
When Ravichandran Ashwin went to the series against West Indies, he knew that all he needed was 24 wickets in the four-match Test series to claim the world record for being the fastest to 200 Test wickets beating CV Grimmett's mark. While it was true that he had never taken a five-wicket haul outside Asia before the start of the series, he started it with a seven-wicket haul.
That meant he only needed 17 in the remaining three matches to the take the world record. However, a combination of good batting from the hosts and rain in the final Test meant that he was left stranded on 193 wickets having played 36 Tests, which is the same Tests as it took the Australian leggie to get to 200 scalps.
However, despite losing out on the world record, Ashwin still made history by picking up seven wickets in the first Test against New Zealand until day four. Not only will does he have 200 Test wickets but is also be the fastest Asian bowler to achieve that milestone beating Pakistan’s Waqar Younis’ mark of 38 Tests. He got there in 37 Tests, one fewer than the Pakistani pacer who also got the record against New Zealand, 21 years ago.