R Ashwin 11 wickets away from joining elite group of Test bowlers

NEW DELHI: As the clock ticks ahead of the first Test between India and South Africa at Centurion, a Boxing Day affair, the Indian spin veteran is just 11 wickets away from entering an elite company of bowlers, the '500 Club'.

The first Test of the two-match series will be starting from Tuesday at Centurion. For the first time in around five months, Ashwin will be seen weaving his spin web in whites.

In 94 Tests, Ashwin has taken 489 wickets. These wickets have come at an average of 23.65, with the best bowling figures of 7/59. He has 34 five-wicket-hauls and eight ten-wicket hauls in Tests.

He could become the second-fastest to 500 Test wickets, with Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan at the top with 87 matches. Ashwin can become the second Indian after Anil Kumble and the ninth overall bowler to get to 500 Test wickets.

In 13 Tests against South Africa, Ashwin has taken 56 wickets at an average of 21.94, with the best bowling figures of 7/66. In South Africa though, he has not been at his best, taking only 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 50.50, with 4/113 as his best figures.

The other members of the '500 Club are':

Muttiah Muralitharan

In 133 Tests, Muralitharan has taken 800 wickets at an average of 22.72 and a strike rate of 55.04. His best bowling figures are 9/51 in white clothing. With 67 fifers and 22 ten-wicket hauls, Murali is the most successful Test bowler ever.

Shane Warne

In second place in Aussie spin wizard Shane Warne, who played 145 Tests for the Aussies. In these matches, he took 708 wickets at an average of 25.41 and a strike rate of 57.49. His best bowling figures are 8/71. He has 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket hauls. Warne is the most successful Australian bowler ever.

James Anderson

England's ageless wonder is in third place, with 690 wickets across 183 Tests at an average of 26.42 and a strike rate of 56.83. His best bowling figures are 7/42. He has taken 32 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in Tests. Anderson is not only England's most successful bowler, but also the most successful pacer in the history of the game, still going strong at 41 years of age.

Anil Kumble

Nicknamed as 'Jumbo', Kumble lives upto this name with some really gigantic figures and records in Test and international cricket. With 619 wickets in 132 matches at an average of 29.65, he is India's best bowler ever statistically. His best figures are 10/74 and is the first-ever Indian to get a ten-wicket haul in a single Test inning. Attached to Kumble's name are 35 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket hauls.

Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad is the second-most successful pacer in sport's history, with the first being his partner-in-pace, James Anderson. In 167 Tests, Broad has taken 604 wickets at an average of 27.68. His best bowling figures are 8/15. He has 20 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in Tests.

Glenn McGrath

The 'Pidgeon' as he is known to the fans, McGrath is the most successful Australian pacer ever and the equivalent of Shane Warne in fast bowling. In 124 matches, he took 563 wickets at an average of 21.64 and a strike rate of 51.95. His best bowling figures are 8/24. With 29 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls, McGrath terrified batters worldwide for years.

Courtney Walsh

The West Indies pacer was the first-ever bowler to take 500 Test wickets. In 132 Tests, he took 519 wickets at an average of 24.44 and a strike rate of 57.84. His best bowling figures are 7/37. He took 22 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in Tests.

Nathan Lyon

In 123 Tests, Lyon has taken 501 wickets at an average of 30.85 and a strike rate of 63.10. His best bowling figures are 8/50. He has 23 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls in the longer format. He is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in the game.