"Will get his 500 with King on the field in Rajkot" - Fans react as Ravichandran Ashwin gets stranded on 499 wickets after IND vs ENG Vizag Test
India ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got stranded on 499 wickets as the hosts beat England by 106 runs in the second Test to level the five-match Test series 1-1 on Monday, February 5.
The off-spinner bagged three wickets in the second innings before Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar finished off England’s tail. The 37-year-old took the prized scalps of Ollie Pope and Joe Root to help India dominate England on Day 4. He almost dismissed Tom Hartley and seemed to have picked up his 500th Test wicket, but it was not to be.
Ashwin, however, surpassed BS Chandrasekhar (95 wickets) to become India’s leading wicket-taker against England. He now has 97 scalps in 21 Tests against the visitors.
The Chennai-born cricketer has the most wickets for India in Tests against England, Australia and New Zealand. Ashwin will now look to become the second Indian bowler after former India captain Anil Kumble (619) to complete 500 wickets in Tests.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) were disappointed as Ravichandran Ashwin missed out on his 500th Test wicket on Monday. One user wrote:
"So it looks like Ashwin will get his 500 with King on the field in Rajkot."
Here are some more reactions:
What happened in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test?
Batting first, India posted 396 in their first innings, courtesy of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s double century. The left-handed batter smashed 209 runs off 290 balls, including seven sixes and 19 boundaries. James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed bagged three wickets apiece for England.
In response, the visitors were bundled out for 253 in their first innings. Zak Crawley starred with the bat, scoring 76 off 78 deliveries, with the help of two sixes and 11 boundaries. Jasprit Bumrah bagged a six-wicket haul, while Kuldeep Yadav picked up three wickets for the hosts.
In the second innings, India put up 255 to set up a 399-run target for England. Shubman Gill returned to form with his third Test century, scoring 104 off 147, in an innings laced with two sixes and 11 boundaries. Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed bagged four and three wickets, respectively, for England.
Chasing 399, the Ben Stokes-led side were bundled out for 292. Zak Crawley top scored with 73 off 132, featuring one six and eight boundaries. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah bagged three wickets apiece.
The third Test will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot from February 15.