Sachin Tendulkar Congratulates Ravi Ashwin, Jonny Bairstow on Reaching Landmark 100th Test

Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has congratulated both Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow on making Test cricket history. Ashwin and Bairstow are currently competing in what is their 100th Test match at Dharamshala.

It is also the final game of the ongoing India vs England series as both teams hunt for a winning end to their campaign. Before the match began, Tendulkar sent out a post on X that read, “It’s a historic day in Dharamsala as Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow don the international whites for the 100th time. An incredible achievement that speaks volumes about their passion and perseverance for red-ball cricket. I wish them both a fantastic game ahead!”

The ongoing series has been anything but a bed of roses for Ravichandran Ashwin. During the Rajkot Test, the veteran spinner received the news of his mother collapsing right after his 500th wicket. Ashwin’s wife Prithi narrated the incident of how she heard a scream from her mother-in-law during the celebrations of the cricketer’s landmark achievement.

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This led to Ashwin rushing to Chennai, leaving the Rajkot Test midway to attend to his ailing mother. He did eventually make a return on Day 4 of the Test and even picked up a wicket in the second innings. The bowler has amassed a total of 17 wickets in the four games he has played at home. While the numbers might look good for a regular bowler, 17 wickets just isn’t enough by Ashwin’s standards.

Despite the average numbers, Ravichandran Ashwin has put up some crucial performances for India while breaking a few records in the ongoing Test series. One of his major milestones was to become the fastest Indian player to reach 500 Test wickets. He achieved this feat in India’s second Test match at Rajkot. England opener Zak Crawley was the 37-year-old’s landmark wicket which he acquired on the final session of the Test’s second day.

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Speaking of Jonny Bairstow, the seasoned English batter will be disappointed with his spoils in India so far. In the four games he has played, Bairstow has scored a total of 170 runs. This includes a duck in the first innings of the third Test match in Rajkot. He produced his best performance of the series at the Ranchi Test where the batter added 38 and 30 runs to his team’s tally across the two innings. However, it still wasn’t enough to secure a victory for England.

India are leading the ongoing Test series 3-1 against England. They are currently playing their final Test match at Dharamsala as they hunt for their fourth victory against the visiting side.