Ashwin on surpassing Kumble: Stopped thinking about landmarks long time ago

Anil Kumble is India's leading wicket-taker in Tests with 619 scalps but Ashwin, who has 401 wickets in 77 Tests, isn't thinking too far ahead.

Published : Feb 27, 2021 19:25 IST

Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday became only the sixth spinner in the world and the fourth Indian overall to take 400 Test wickets when he dismissed Jofra Archer on the second day of the day-night third Test against England in Ahmedabad.

The 34-year-old off-spinner, playing in his 77th Test, is also the second-fastest to reach the milestone after Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan, who made it in his 72nd Test. Anil Kumble is India's leading wicket-taker in Tests with 619 scalps but Ashwin isn't looking too far ahead.

 

"If you look at it pragmatically, it’s 218 wickets away. I stopped thinking about all those landmarks a long, long time ago," Ashwin said during a virtual media interaction on Saturday.

"It’s been about what I can do, how I can get better, what more I can offer to the team because every time you come back into this setup, especially now that I am only playing Test cricket, it’s important to come back and offer more to the team. Looking to get better as a cricketer and a person.

"That’s probably one of the reasons why I am really, really happy and enjoying my game. This is probably the best I have done in the last 15 years. I would like to continue this phase and not think about too much else."