From now on, there will be no more scientific and mathematical explanations of cricketing strategy in the Indian dressing room, as one of India’s smartest cricketers, R Ashwin, has announced his retirement from all formats of cricket, leaving many fans and his mates emotional. His retirement, which no one was expecting, came suddenly just after the India vs Australia 3rd Test.
When he came to the press conference along with Rohit Sharma, in just a 2-minute session in front of journalists, he shocked his fans with the announcement but also brought joy to many as fans revisited his impressive numbers in all formats of cricket, especially in Tests, where his name will be etched in golden words.
Just as Ashwin love numbers and always has calculations to go with him while making cricketing strategies, his fans also cherish the records he made in his almost 14-year career, which began way back on November 6, 2011, in Delhi, and ended on December 18, 2024. See some of the records held by R. Ashwin that are almost unbreakable by any cricketer.
R Ashwin Top Records
| Record | Achievement |
|---|---|
| 195 | Highest wicket-taker in the World Test Championship across three editions |
| 37 | 37 Test five-fors, only bettered by Muttiah Muralitharan (67) |
| 2 | Second-fastest to 500 Test wickets (98 games, February 2024); fastest to 250, 300, and 350 Test wickets |
| 226 | Most bowled and lbw wickets in Tests (226 dismissals) |
| 302 | One of three bowlers with 300 bowled-lbw dismissals in international cricket |
| 4 | Four occasions with a hundred and a five-wicket haul in a Test (only bettered by Ian Botham) |
| 156 | India’s fourth-highest wicket-taking spinner in ODIs (116 appearances) |
| 46 | Best Test bowling strike rate in India for any spinner (minimum of 200 wickets) |
| 268 | Record for Dismissing the Most Left-Handers in Test Cricket |
Second-fastest to 500 Test wickets
When it comes to the most prolific record, Ashwin has 500 Test wickets, which is surely unmatched, as he is one of only nine bowlers to achieve that milestone. Not only did he take all the big scalps, but he was also the second-fastest to reach 500 wickets, doing so in just 98 games. Additionally, Ashwin was the fastest bowler in international cricket to reach 350 Test wickets, achieving the feat in only 66 Test matches. He was also the fastest to reach 250 and 300 Test wickets.
Century and a Five-Wicket Haul in Test match
Also, Ashwin is one of only four Indian cricketers, along with Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, and Ravindra Jadeja, to have taken a 5-for and scored a century in the same Test match. What makes it even more special is that he achieved this remarkable feat four times, putting him in second place. Ian Botham, a legendary all-rounder from England, holds the record with five such instances.
Record for Dismissing the Most Left-Handers in Test Cricket
Whenever there is a left-handed batter, the captain usually hands the ball to Ashwin, as he holds the record for dismissing the most left-handers in Test cricket—an impressive 268 victims. Some of his favourites left-handers which he loved bowling to include Ben Stokes (12 dismissals), David Warner (11), Alastair Cook (9), and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, whom he dismissed four times in the short span of 23 balls during Sangakkara’s farewell series.
Most bowled and LBW wickets in Tests
One of the most interesting records Ashwin holds is for dismissing batters with bowled and lbw wickets, achieving this feat 226 times—the most for any spinner in this format. Overall, across all formats, Ashwin is one of only three bowlers to record 300 bowled-lbw dismissals in international cricket, with 302 dismissals, just behind Muralitharan (336) and James Anderson (320).
37 five-wicket hauls in International cricket
Last but not least, how can anyone forget his five-wicket hauls? Ashwin was one of the most reliable names in the Indian side, and whenever the team trusted him, he delivered with not just one or two scalps. Especially in whites, he has an incredible total of 37 five-wicket hauls, which is joint-second best in Test history alongside Shane Warne, only behind the Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
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