Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi spoke highly of Ravichandran Ashwin's skill and perseverance as the off-spinner completed the historic feat of 500 Test wickets during the third game of the ongoing five-match series against England in Rajkot on Friday. The off spinner got the better of Zak Crawley to become the first Indian bowler after Anil Kumble (619) and only the ninth player overall to reach this milestone.
"Congratulations to Ravichandran Ashwin on the extraordinary milestone of taking 500 Test wickets! His journey and accomplishments are testament to his skill and perseverance. My best wishes to him as he scales further peaks," Modi wrote on 'X'.
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The legendary Sachin Tendulkar called Ashwin "one-in-a-million" bowler. "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!," Tendulkar said on the micro-blogging site.
Ashwin's contemporary and fellow off-spinner Nathan Lyon put out a video message saying that he has nothing but respect for his Indian counterpart.
"Hi Ash, just wanted to say, massive congratulations for taking 500 Test match wickets. It's been an incredible journey to watch. I have got nothing but respect for the way you have gone about it. It's been amazing to be competing against you, but also learn from you. Congratulations and plenty more to come, Lyon said.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah called it an incredible feat. "Hats off to @ashwinravi99 for achieving an incredible feat of securing 500 test wickets. Your outstanding talent and unwavering commitment have left a lasting mark in cricketing history."
Ashwin's former India and Tamil Nadu team-mate Dinesh Karthik wrote: "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!" .
However, in an unfortunate turn of events, Ashwin had to withdraw from the team for the ongoing Test match due to a personal emergency. Whilst the BCCI first appealed to the media to respect his privacy, board's vice president Rajiv Shukla later revealed on X that Ashwin is returning to Chennai to attend to his ailing mother.
(With PTI inputs)
