IND vs ENG 4th Test: Legend of R. Ashwin in Test cricket

IND v ENG Test: R. Ashwin crossed the 500 Test wickets milestone, and broke records previously held by Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in this series. (Image source: X/@BCCI)

Ravichandran Ashwin is aware of his greatness. The 37-year-old is the only Indian spinner since the last decade to break the records of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, the spin wizards with 619 and 417 wickets in red-ball cricket.

R Ashwin's five-wicket haul in the fourth Test against England took him to 354 Test wickets claimed in India, breaking Anil Kumble's record (350) for most Test wickets in India. He also beat Harbhajan Singh's record for most wickets by an Indian bowler against a single team at home - R. Ashwin took 91 wickets, versus Harbhajan Singh's 86 against Australia.

Off-spinner R. Ashwin has set a new blueprint for the next generation: to develop at least six to seven variations to be a champion in all conditions against seasoned batters. Ashwin is an engineer and a researcher who can spend months studying the game of opponent batters.

His geeky nature is one of the reasons behind the 507 wickets in 99 Test matches. He was obsessed with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne for six months before touring Australia in 2020-21. The Aussie duo surrendered to Ashwin multiple times throughout the series, and India eventually won 2-1.

Ashwin's aggression lies in his accuracy and ability to improvise. He decoded the erratic wicket in Ranchi on the second day when India was struggling against England spinner Shoaib Bashir though there was not much turn. "I had to go back and re-wire my thoughts about the game. When I come to the east, there is not enough bite on the surface. The bounce is literally till the shin height. I had to bowl a lot of side spin and hammer it down the pitch in the first half of the spell. I had to make a mental switch," he told the broadcasters after the fifer on Day 3.

Ashwin has been successful against all Test-playing nations at home and away. Unfortunately, he did not get enough chances in New Zealand. He returned 3/99 in his only Test in Wellington in February 2020. Otherwise, he has 39 wickets in 10 Tests in Australia, 18 in seven Tests in England, 11 in seven Tests in South Africa, 32 in six Tests in the West Indies.

He has been the king of five-day cricket in India with 354 wickets. Overall, 252 out of his 507 wickets are that of left-handed batters, which is a record in itself. Nathan Lyon of Australia is the only other off-spinner in the cricketing fraternity who is as good as Ashwin at 517 wickets in 127 Tests.

India sealed the five-match Test series against England 3-1 with a five-wicket victory over the visitors in Ranchi on Monday, and Ashwin deserves credit for turning the match with figures of 5/51 in the second innings.