R Ashwin powers to 500 Test wickets mark
Rajkot, Feb 16: Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday became the second Indian bowler after former skipper Anil Kumble to take 500 Test wickets during the third Test against England here.
Ashwin also became only the third off-spinner to achieve the feat and continues to be the second highest wicket-taker for India behind Kumble, who ended his career with 619 scalps.
The 37-year-old reached the milestone on day two of the ongoing Test. He needed just one wicket for the feat and that came in the way of opener Zak Crawley, who mis-timed a sweep which landed in the safe hands of Rajat Patidar at short fine leg.
This was after India were earlier bowled out for 445 in their first innings.
The only other off-spinners who have touched the 500 wickets mark are retired Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralidaran (800) and Australia's Nathan Lyon (517), who did it last year.
Overall, Ashwin is only the ninth bowler to take 500 wickets in the traditional format, scaling the landmark in his 97th Test.
Having made his Test debut in 2011, Ashwin has come a long way.
The engineering graduate from Chennai started out as a top-order batter and tried his hand at medium pace bowling before settling for the role of an off-spinner, a decision that was forced by a back injury during his teenage years.
Following the Kumble and Harbhajan Singh era, Ashwin had big shoes to fill and he has done that with remarkable consistency.
In his first 16 Tests, Ashwin snared nine five-wicket hauls and became the fastest to the 300 wickets club.
Ashwin has also proved his worth in the shorter formats, having played 116 ODIS for his 156 wickets in the format. He has 72 wickets in 65 T20 International appearances.
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R Ashwin's momentous Test journey in πΈπΈ
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Take A Bow, R Ashwin π π
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Priyanka Gandhi visited Zubeen Garg's cremation ground for politics: Himanta
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of doing politics over the death of Zubeen Garg, two days after her visit to the singer’s cremation ground.
Speaking to reporters at BJP state headquarters here, Sarma announced that he will not visit Garg's cremation ground 'Zubeen Khetra' till the Assembly elections are over.
"'Zubeen Khetra' should not be used for political purposes. Priyanka Gandhi came to Assam for political purposes and spent just two minutes at the cremation ground," he said.
Stating that no one should visit 'Zubeen Khetra' when they come for political purposes, Sarma said that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah have not been there despite visiting the state multiple times over the last three months.
"Why didn't Priyanka Gandhi visit Swahid Smarak or Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s memorial? The Congress is openly doing politics over Zubeen Garg. They made people emotional and sought votes," he alleged.
On Friday, Vadra visited Garg's cremation ground and said the iconic musician was the "voice of Assam's soul" and he is "above politics".
The Congress leader, who was on a two-day trip to the state to shortlist party candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls, made an unscheduled visit to 'Zubeen Khetra' at Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati without any media presence.
The celebrated singer died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea. He had gone to the island nation to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
The CM further claimed that around 12,000 BJP workers donated blood on Zubeen Garg's birthday in November last year.
"Whose value is more -- Priyanka Gandhi who spent two minutes or me who arranged 12,000 blood donors? People are using Garg's name and doing politics," he added.
Sarma pointed out that it was he who had selected the location to make 'Zubeen Khetra' and arranged everything.
"If Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have courage, let them go to Swahid Smarak and confess that their grandmother and father had committed sins during Assam Agitation," he added.
A 'Swahid Smarak', the martyrs memorial, was inaugurated in December last year in the state capital in memory of more than 850 people from the Assamese community who had died during the six-year long Assam Agitation.
"I will not go to Zubeen Khetra till the elections are over. I feel no candidate should visit it if they are contesting elections," Sarma said.
Talking about public demand to set up a fast-track court for speedy trial of Garg's death, the CM claimed that a "conspiracy" is happening in that aspect.
"The judge, in whose court the case is going on at present, has rejected three bail petitions of the accused. Seeing this, two others withdrew their bail applications," he added.
Sarma claimed that a preparation is going on to take away the case from this judge to help the accused.
"This is a design of a particular news channel, a particular newspaper and Congress to change the judge, give bails to the accused before election and blame the BJP," he added.
"It is just politics. There is a conspiracy to give bail and put BJP in awkward position," he said.
Sarma said the Assam Cabinet on February 26 will take a decision whether the case should be handed over to a fast-track court.
"We may transfer it, but we will not be responsible for the consequences of the case then," he added.
Garima Saikia Garg, wife of Zubeen Garg, and Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar on February 16 had expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of the case being heard by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.
With several petitions filed before the court on different aspects by the accused, the entire process has been delayed as the trial is yet to begin, Kamar had said.
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, his two band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, his cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and his PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya are in jail as accused in the case.
