700 Wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin Joins Elite Club, Behind Only Anil Kumble And Harbhajan Singh

The first day of the first Test between India and West Indies belonged to spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin. He had the West Indies batters on the run as he broke their resistance with some terrific bowling. He also achieved many feats on the day. By the second session on Day 1, Ashwin grabbed 4/49 and became the third Indian bowler to reach 700 wickets as hosts West Indies were 137 for eight. 

Ashwin got to the milestone when dismissed Alzarri Joseph (4) for his third wicket. He is the third Indian after Anil Kumble (956) and Harbhajan Singh (711) to reach the coveted milestone.

Later, he denied Alick Athanaze a fifty on debut, dismissing him three runs shy of the milestone. Ashwin achieved a rare distinction of getting the wickets of both father and son in his illustrious Test career when he dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies. Ashwin, who had made his Test debut in 2011 in New Delhi, had dismissed Tagenarine's father Shivnarine Chanderpaul during his maiden appearance in the longest format.

Ashwin had trapped Chanderpaul senior plumb in-front in the second innings of that Test match which happened 12 years back.

Ashwin, who had 474 Test wickets before this match, bowled young Tagenarine with a beauty and became only fifth bowler in world cricket to dismiss both father and son during his career.

Funnily, it is the Chanderpauls, who feature thrice in the list of the father and son duo dismissed by same bowler.

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc and South Africa's off-spinner Simon Harmer are the other two bowlers who had dismissed Shivnarine and Tagenarine.

May be it has got to do with Chanderpaul senior's longevity as he retired as late as 2015, while his son made his debut in Tests last year.

With PTI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Ravichandran Ashwin India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team West Indies vs India, 2023 Cricket