Ravichandran Ashwin nominated for ICC Player of the Month Award for all-round heroics

Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been nominated for the International Cricket Council (ICC) men's Player of the Month award. The governing body of world cricket announced the nominees for the ICC Player of the Month Awards for the month of February to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket. The announcement was made on Tuesday.

Ravichandran Ashwin nominated courtesy of his outstanding all-round display

R Ashwin has been nominated in the ICC men's Player of the Month Awards category thanks to his outstanding all-round performance in the ongoing four-match Test series against England. In the three matches that he has played so far, 'Ash' has amassed 176 runs and registered 24 scalps as well. In fact, the ongoing home Test series has also been a special one for the senior spinner. He scored a match-winning 106 in the second Test that was contested in his hometown Chennai which was also his fifth century in the game's longest format.

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In the following Test at the newly-renovated Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Tamil Nadu cricketer registered his 400th Test scalp during England's second innings when he had tail-ender Jofra Archer caught plumb in front of the wicket.

By the virtue of this feat, Team India's Test specialist has now joined the likes of a few of his great predecessors to become the fourth Indian bowler to register 400 scalps in the longest format of the game. Ashwin with 400 wickets in 77 matches has joined the likes of his former team-mate Harbhajan Singh (417 wickets in 103 matches), legendary all-rounder & 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev (434 wickets in 131 matches), and, spin legend Anil Kumble (619 wickets from 132 matches to reach the 400-club in Test match cricket. 

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While he became the fastest Indian bowler to pick up 400 wickets in red-ball cricket, he is now the second-fastest bowler in world cricket to achieve this feat. Team India's modern-day Test specialist picked up his 400th scalp in his 77th Test appearance. Meanwhile, the record is still held by Sri Lankan spin legend as well as the highest wicket-taker in Test history (800) Muttiah Muralitharan who had reached the landmark in just his 72nd appearance in red-ball cricket.

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