Ashwin Eyes Milestones as India Faces Bangladesh in Chennai Test

Team India gears up to face Bangladesh in Chennai on September 19, with all eyes on local star Ravichandran Ashwin, who is on the verge of several milestones. Head Coach Gautam Gambhir aims for his first series win. The second Test will take place on September 27 in Kanpur.

As the Indian cricket team readies itself to clash with Bangladesh in their first Test match at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium, all eyes are on local hero and spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin. The series, marking head coach Gautam Gambhir's first Test assignment, kicks off September 19, with the second match scheduled for September 27 in Kanpur.

Ashwin's impressive record at the Chennai venue gives India a significant edge. Across four Tests at the stadium, Ashwin has bagged 30 wickets at an average of 23.60, including four five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket match haul. His batting prowess is equally noteworthy, accumulating 229 runs in six innings with a century and a half-century to his credit. His top score here is 106.

Memorable performances at the stadium include his match-winning seven-wicket haul against Australia in 2013 and a remarkable all-round performance against England in 2021. In the latter, after a tough loss thanks to Joe Root's double ton, Ashwin's five-wicket haul and his fifth Test century propelled India to a much-needed victory, earning him the Player of the Match award.

Ashwin is close to hitting a significant milestone, needing just six more wickets to reach 750 international wickets. Currently, he has 744 wickets from 281 international matches, at an average of 25.68. Surpassing milestones in this series could see him move ahead of legends like Courtney Walsh, Chaminda Vaas, and Tim Southee in the all-time wicket-takers list.

Beyond this, Ashwin aims to intensify his rivalry with Australian spinner Nathan Lyon, who currently has 530 Test wickets compared to Ashwin's 516. During India's numerous upcoming matches, including their anticipated series against New Zealand and then the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Ashwin has golden opportunities to climb higher in the rankings.

The Indian squad for the first Test against Bangladesh includes Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.

(With inputs from agencies.)