Ravichandran Ashwin has been India's most important bowler for more than a decade. He took his 500th wicket in the third Test in Rajkot, dismissing England's Zak Crawley. The crowd at the ground rose to its feet in celebration. 

At the age of 37, his Test captain, Rohit Sharma, has described him as "one of the all-time greats". Ashwin is the ninth bowler to reach the milestone. He is only the second from India after Anil Kumble (619). Ashwin admitted that his first-class cricket career had been "pretty good". He said the Indian Premier League had been instrumental in his breakthrough and had allowed a lot of people to enjoy it. "And then I finally made my Test debut. People had doubts about whether I could be a Test bowler. And 10, 13 years later, that's not a bad achievement. So I'm pretty happy," he told reporters, as quoted by AFP.

Hailing from the southern city of Chennai, Ashwin started out as a computer engineer after graduating from university and is known for his precision. Using the full width of the crease, Ashwin delivers his off-spin from different angles and at different speeds. This makes him a special and different bowler and has made him one of the best in history. He also has a deceptive 'arm ball' that goes straight and has worked on developing a 'carrom ball' that goes the other way, using his knuckles. Something that also bears his personal stamp.

Former captain Virat Kohli called Ashwin "lege" - from the word "legend". He once said: "We are running out of words to describe his achievements." Ashwin was an integral part of India's World Cup triumph in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.  But it was three years later that he matured into a top-class bowler. In the 2015-16 season, he took 48 wickets in eight Tests and 27 victims in 19 Twenty20s . He was named ICC Cricketer of the Year.

Ashwin now has 34 five-wicket hauls in 98 Tests since his debut in 2011. His best figures are 7-59. These are records that mark him out as an exceptional player. 

Some players and rivals have defined him: "He is a world-class bowler and someone I have watched closely since the beginning of his career. You can learn from the people you play against. Without knowing it, he's probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way," said Australia's leading spinner Nathan Lyon.

Ashwin started out as a medium-paced batsman before switching to off-spin. He describes himself as an "accidental spinner". A stroke of luck that set him on the right path. "I always wanted to be a batsman. Life has given me a chance to do that," he said. Ashwin on Friday recounted how he got the chance to bowl while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. The all-time leading wicket-taker, Muttiah Muralitharan, had refused to use the new ball, so it was given to him and the rest is history. Fickle finger of fate.