Ashwin's 500 Test wickets landmark: Cricket fraternity applauds India's milestone man; 'Anna' memes explodes

Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin joined an elite club on Friday, becoming the second Indian bowler after former captain Anil Kumble to claim 500 Test wickets during the third Test against England in Rajkot. Ashwin's achievement also marks him as only the third off-spinner in history to reach this milestone. Notably, he stands as the second highest wicket-taker for India, trailing behind Kumble, who concluded his career with 619 wickets.

The 37-year-old achieved this milestone on the second day of the ongoing Test match. Requiring just one wicket to reach the feat, Ashwin dismissed opener Zak Crawley, who mistimed a sweep shot, resulting in a catch by Rajat Patidar at short fine leg.

India had earlier been bowled out for 445 runs in their first innings.

Joining retired Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralidaran (800) and Australia's Nathan Lyon (517), Ashwin becomes only the third off-spinner to reach the 500-wicket mark. He is also the ninth bowler overall to achieve this milestone in the traditional Test format, achieving it in his 97th Test match.

Since making his Test debut in 2011, Ashwin has undergone a remarkable journey. Originally an engineering graduate from Chennai, he initially pursued batting and medium pace bowling before a back injury during his teenage years steered him towards off-spin.

Following the era of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin faced the challenge of filling their big shoes, a task he undertook with remarkable consistency. Impressively, he claimed nine five-wicket hauls in his first 16 Tests, swiftly becoming the fastest to join the 300 wickets club.

Ashwin's versatility extends beyond Test cricket; he has also made significant contributions in the shorter formats. With 156 wickets in 116 ODIs and 72 wickets in 65 T20 Internationals, he has proven his worth across all formats of the game.

Kumble, Tendulkar and more congratulate Ashwin

Following this historic feat, several former cricketers took to X, formerly Twitter, to congratulate the off-spinner.

Legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble, whose company Ashwin joined today with the 500th Test wicket said, "A champion bowler who never stops to learn. Congratulations @ashwinravi99 on this monumental achievement! Wonderful to see another Indian spinner joining the club."

"500 Test wickets for a one-in-a-million bowler! In AshWIN the SpinNER, there was always a WINNER. 500 wickets is a huge milestone in Test cricket. Congratulations, Champion!" wrote legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar.

Dinesh Karthik too congratulated Ashwin for yet another milestone stating, "From Chennai to the cricketing cosmos, @ashwinravi99's journey to 500 Test wickets is a saga of grit, guile, and unrivaled skill. A monumental achievement that cements his legacy in the annals of cricketing history. Bravo, Ashwin!"

Meanwhile, a meme fest exploded on X, with several users appreciating their favourite 'Anna's' landmark moment with images and GIFs.