India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is confident that his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin will get his 500th wicket in the Rajkot Test against England, starting February 15.
Ashwin was left stranded on 499 wickets in the Vizag Test after Jasprit Bumrah took the final wicket of Tom Hartley on Day 4 to finish the match which India won by 106 runs to level the series.
Ashwin chasing history in Rajkot
He needs just one more scalp to become the 10th bowler to take 500 Test wickets. Ashwin will become only the second active bowler after Nathan Lyon to achieve the feat if he gets the prized wicket at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium this week.
He is the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests after Anil Kumble (619) with 499 scalps from 97 matches.
Saurashtra star backs Ashwin to reach milestone at SCA
And local hero Jadeja believes it is his destiny to get there on his home ground.
"To be honest, I thought Ravi Ashwin will get to the 500 wickets milestone in the first Test Match. It's destiny that Ashwin will get to 500 in my hometown (Saurashtra)," Jadeja said at the pre-match press conference.
Jadeja & Ashwin's record-breaking numbers
Jadeja himself will be looking to get fit in time to play in front of his home fans. He is currently recovering from a hamstring injury that he suffered in the Hyderabad Test and missed the second match in Vizag because of it.
Ashwin and Jadeja both played the series-opener where they became the most successful Test bowling pair in Indian cricket.
Most successful Test bowling pairs for Team India:
R Ashwin (274) and Ravindra Jadeja (226) - 503 in 50 Tests*
Anil Kumble (281) and Harbhajan Singh (220) - 501 in 54 Tests
Bishan Bedi (184) and BS Chandrasekhar (184) - 368 in 42 Tests
The off-spinning duo completed 500 Test wickets together in Hyderabad to become the second Indian bowling pair to achieve the feat after former spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Ashwin and Jadeja then went past Kumble and Bhajji's tally with their 502nd scalp as a pair.
