R Ashwin’s 500th wicket: Who are the fastest to reach 500 wickets in Tests?

England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 89 in 13 overs after India amassed 445 in the third Test of the five-match series, at Rajkot. Then Crawley top-edged a sweep off R Ashwin, and Rajat Patidar held the catch at backward square-leg.

Crawley was Ashwin’s 500th Test wicket. He became the ninth bowler to reach the milestone, but took only 98 Test matches get there, which made him the second-quickest in history after Muttiah Muralidaran (87). He displaced Anil Kumble (105), the only other Indian to take 500 Test wickets, from the second place.

Ashwin has consistently featured in the list of quickest bowlers to the multiples of 50 wickets. He was the joint ninth-fastest to 50 wickets (nine Tests), joint sixth-fastest to 100 (18), joint fifth-fastest to 150 (29), third-fastest to 200 (37), fastest to 250 (45), fastest to 300 (54), joint-fastest to 350 (66), second-fastest to 400 (77), and second-fastest to 450 (89).

For the 350th wicket, he was tied with Muralidaran, who beat him to the 400th, 450th, and 500th wickets. Muralidaran is also the quickest to 550, 600, 650, and 700 wickets, and the only one to 750 and 800 wickets.

Who are the fastest to reach 500 wickets in Tests?

87 Tests – Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka)
98 Tests – R Ashwin (India)
105 Tests – Anil Kumble (India)
108 Tests – Shane Warne (Australia)
110 Tests – Glenn McGrath (Australia)
123 Tests – Nathan Lyon (Australia)
129 Tests – Courtney Walsh (West Indies)
129 Tests – James Anderson (England)
140 Tests – Stuart Broad (England)

Given India’s team selection policies, especially away from home, Ashwin has missed out on several Test matches. He took 12 years 101 days since his debut to reach 500 wickets, behind Muralidaran (11 years 201 days), McGrath (11 years 251 days), and Warne (12 years 66 days). At 16 years 128 days, Walsh was the slowest to the landmark.