Ravichandran Ashwin takes 200+Test Wickets in 37 Tests - Another Landmark

Ravichandran Ashwin achieved yet another milestone when he dismissed New Zealand captain Kane Williamson for his 200th Test wicket - the second fastest ever and the quickest Indian to do so in 37 Tests.
Chasing a daunting 434 to win the first Test that's underway in Kanpur on Day 4, Ashwin got rid of both the New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham in one over. And then just when it looked the visitors were on the road to recovery, the 30-year-old gave them a body blow, trapping their talismanic skipper Williamson for 25 which left them reeling at 43/3.

Australia legspinner Clarrie Grimmett leads the chart, reaching the milestone in 36 Tests.

Ravichandran Ashwin is the ninth Indian bowler to record 200 in Tests and also the ninth highest wicket-taker for the country in a list lead by current coach Anil Kumble who has taken 619 wickets

R. Ashwin's ascent to the top of Test bowling's record charts has been exemplary. Seldom has a strike rate, especially for a spinner, been matched in the format's history. Add his quickfire 220 wickets in the just 39 Tests and what you have is nothing short of gasp-worthy. Only five fast bowlers (Dale Steyn, Waqar Younis, Malclm Marshall, Alan Donald amd Fred Trueman) had a better strike rate when they reached a similar wickets summit in their careers. 

Here are some charts to get a clearer picture of where Ashwin stands amidst the greats of Test cricket

Ravichandran Ashwin Test Cricket Statistics as of Oct 11,2016

• Tests 39
• Wkts 220
• Ave    24.29
• SR     49.40
• 5-Wkt 21

Ravichandran  Ashwin has the 15th best strike rate for a bowler in Test history

Player	Span	Wkts	SR
AA Donald (SA)	1992-2002	330	47
C Blythe (ENG)	1901-1910	100	45.40
CEH Croft (WI)	1977-1982	125	49.30
DW Steyn (SA)	2004-2016	416	41.30
FS Trueman (ENG)	1952-1965	307	49.40
GA Lohmann (ENG)	1886-1896	112	34.1
J Briggs (ENG)	1884-1899	118	45.1
J Garner (WI)	1977-1987	259	50.80
MA Holding (WI)	1975-1987	249	50.90
MA Starc (AUS)	2011-2016	115	47.90
MD Marshall (WI)	1978-1991	376	46.7
Mohammad Asif (PAK)	2005-2010	106	48.7
R Ashwin (INDIA)	2011-2016	220	49.40
RJ Harris (AUS)	2010-2015	113	50.7
SF Barnes (ENG)	1901-1914	189	41.6
Shoaib Akhtar (PAK)	1997-2007	178	45.7
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ)	1973-1990	431	50.80
ST Finn (ENG)	2010-2016	125	50.7
VD Philander (SA)	2011-2016	130	48.2
Waqar Younis (PAK)	1989-2003	373	43.40

BEST STRIKE RATES - SPINNERS (Min 100 wickets)

Ravichandran Ashwin ranks third in this list

Player	Span	Wkts	SR
C Blythe (ENG)	1901-1910	100	45.40
GP Swann (ENG)	2008-2013	255	60.1
H Trumble (AUS)	1890-1904	141	57.40
HMRKB Herath (SL)	1999-2016	332	62.1
J Briggs (ENG)	1884-1899	118	45.1
M Muralitharan (ICC/SL)	1992-2010	800	55
R Ashwin (INDIA)	2011-2016	220	49.40
R Peel (ENG)	1884-1896	101	51.6
SCG MacGill (AUS)	1998-2008	208	54
SK Warne (AUS)	1992-2007	708	57.40

How Ravichandran Ashwin compares with other Indian spin greats

Home or away, Ashwin has the best strike rate among them all.

Player	Wkts	Ave	SR	Wkts (Home)	Ave (Home)	SR (Home)	Wkts (Away)	Ave (Away)	SR (Away)
A Kumble	619	29.65	65.9	350	24.88	59.40	269	35.85	74.5
BS Bedi	266	28.71	80.30	137	23.99	75.8	129	33.72	85
BS Chandrasekhar	242	29.74	65.9	142	27.69	64.60	100	32.66	67.7
EAS Prasanna	189	30.38	75.9	95	26.94	70.4	94	33.85	81.4
Harbhajan Singh	417	32.46	68.5	265	28.76	64.10	152	38.90	76.2
R Ashwin	220	24.29	49.40	153	20.37	43.90	67	33.23	62.1
RJ Shastri	151	40.96	104.30	73	38.93	102.30	78	42.85	106.10
S Venkataraghavan	156	36.11	95.30	94	30.64	88	62	44.40	106.4
SP Gupte	149	29.55	75.7	84	30.34	76.7	65	28.52	74.4