R Ashwin aim BIG record in Border Gavaskar Trophy, looks to surpass Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in THIS elite List

Zee News

The love affair between Australia and India's top spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is well known. Ashwin's 89 wickets against Australia in 18 Test matches represent the most against any Test-playing country for him. In a four-Test home series against the Australians, the seasoned off-spinner is prepared to roll his arm over once more to push that total above the 100 mark. The 36-year-old Ashwin needs six more wickets to surpass the former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took 95 wickets against Australia in 18 Tests and has 449 Test wickets to his credit.

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Anil Kumble, a legendary spinner, has taken the most wickets overall for India against Australia in Test matches. In the 20 Test matches he played against the Australians, he claimed 111 wickets.

Highest number of wickets by an Indian against Australia in Tests:

Name-Tests-Wicket

Anil Kumble-20-111
Harbhajan Singh-18-95
R Ashwin-18-89
Kapil Dev-20-79
Ravindra Jadeja-12-63

The first of Australia's four Test matches against India will start on Thursday, February 9, while the fourth and final Test will start on Monday, March 9.

Earlier, Former India head coach Ravi Shastri thinks if ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin gets going with both bat and ball, he could well decide the outcome of the series.

At the same time, Shastri cautioned Ashwin about overthinking his plans while bowling to the Australian batters. With Ashwin, who's picked 89 wickets against Australia in Tests apart from making 457 runs against them, looming as a large threat, the visitors' had been practising in Alur against Baroda off-spinner Mahesh Pithiya, who has an eerie resemblance to the bowling action of Ashwin. Moreover, 226 out of 449 wickets taken by Ashwin in Test cricket are left-handed batters.

"One thing you don't want for him is to over-plan. He is good enough doing what he is - sticking to that. He is a really crucial player here. His form might well decide the series. Ashwin is a package not just with the ball, he will get you some important runs as well (with the bat)."

"If he is on fire in both departments, that might well decide the outcome of the series. He is world-class in most conditions. But in Indian conditions, he can be lethal. If the ball is spinning and biting the dust, he has enough up his sleeves to trouble the Australian batters."

"But you don't want him to over-think and try too many things because just keep it there and let the pitch do the rest as it does enough in India," said Shastri in a press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.