#INDvBAN: Ashwin races to 250 club

In the first Test of India's long home season, which was India's 500th Test in Kanpur last September, Ashwin became the second quickest bowler to reach 200 wickets in 37 Tests, missing the record by just one Test.

However, there was no stopping Ashwin getting to the next milestone, 250.

Ashwin took another eight Tests to move from 203 in Kanpur to 250 here on Sunday and upstaged Dennis Lillee, former Australian pace great, by three Tests. Wicket No. 250 is something that he will be proud of like all his other – rival Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim.

Rahim treated Ashwin lightly by stepping down the pitch at will and driving and lofting him for boundaries. But Ashwin adjusted the line and used a little variation in the form of a carrom ball, beating Rahim's sweep to get him caught behind for his 250th wicket.

In doing so, Ashwin also became the fastest spinner to that landmark, six Tests fewer than Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

It is rare to see Ashwin not being among the wickets. It may seem a while since he took a five-wicket haul. More so since he took only one wicket in combined two innings on his home ground, Chennai, against England in December.

It has become the norm that Ashwin is the strike bowler and the other spinners are there to play the supporting cast. Especially at this very venue, where he has three five-wicket bags in his two previous Tests.

On a good batting pitch in the one-off Test against Bangladesh here, Ashwin finished with 2/98 while pacer Umesh Yadav had the best figures of 3/84 and Ravindra Jadeja with a better 2/70 in Bangladesh first innings innings.

Ashwin's teammate Cheteshwar Pujara put things in perspective. He said Ashwin is not that desperate to pick up wickets when things don't go his way.

"He understands that there are situations where he has to bowl tightly. In the first innings, he tried his best. He bowled to a plan. There might be some occasions when he can't get wickets. That's the best part about the Indian team. We bowl as a unit, we bowl in partnerships. Most of the times, Ashwin is the one who takes wickets and Jadeja plays the role of holding the batsman. Sometimes, Ashwin has to play the role of holding the batsman and he did that in the first innings," Pujara said here on Sunday.

Pujara, while congratulating Ashwin for his 250 wickets, added: "He is the toughest spinner. Probably, many teams are planning on how to face Ashwin. The kind of brain he has, he thinks as a batsman, what their weaknesses are and the areas he needs to bowl."

Former Sri Lanka batsman and Muralitharan's teammate, Thilan Samaraweera, who is now batting coach of Bangladesh, said of Ashwin: "I am big believer of legacies. Sunil Gavaskar set a benchmark. Then Sachin (Tendulkar) maintained that and set a higher bench mark. Now, Virat Kohli is chasing that. Similarly, Ashwin knows what Anil (Kumble) and Harbhajan (Singh) set benchmarks. If he plays for another seven to eight years, and stays fit, he can gets beyond 600 wickets and go close to 800 wickets."

The 40-year-old Samaraweera said Ashwin and Muralitharan were different bowlers. "They cannot be compared. Muralitharan is a gifted bowler and one of the freakiest players in world cricket. When I watch Ashwin, he is smart. His skill sets are lots. He has more variations, knows how to change line and length."

Up next for Ashwin is Australia. However, he has some unfinished business against Bangladesh on Monday. With two second innings wickets already, a 25th five-wicket haul is on the cards.