Ravichandran Ashwin has done it again! The senior Indian off-spinner has added yet another feather to his cap by claiming his 688th international wicket during the first session of Day 2 in Indore against Australia, surpassing Kapil Dev to claim the third spot among Indian bowlers. Ashwin has been breaking records on a regular basis now with his exceptional performances, and this milestone is no exception.
The historic scalp came in the form of Alex Carey, whom Ashwin trapped LBW with a sharp delivery that the Australian wicket-keeper played for turn. Despite taking a review, Carey had to depart, sealing Ashwin’s wicket. He finished with figures of 3-44 after being introduced late into the attack.
Ashwin, who overtook Kapil Dev’s elusive tally of 434 Test wickets during the home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022, has since reached the 450-wicket mark, and his current tally reads 466. He has been a pivotal member of the Indian team with his red-ball exploits and has also claimed 151 ODI wickets and 72 T20I wickets over the course of his career.
The leading wicket-taker among Indian pacers in Test cricket, Kapil Dev finished his illustrious career with 687 wickets across formats. It took him 356 international fixtures to compile his wicket tally, while Ashwin breached it while playing his 269th international fixture.
While Ashwin now ranks third in terms of international wickets taken by Indian bowlers, he is only 19 wickets away from overtaking fellow off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to occupy the second spot. Given Ashwin’s current form and the upcoming home series against Australia, it is almost certain that he will achieve this milestone sooner rather than later. Anil Kumble currently occupies the top spot with 953 wickets, and it remains to be seen if Ashwin can surpass his tally in the coming years.