Washington Sundar bagged all the limelight, and deservingly so, with his impeccable bowling performance in the Pune Test. The lanky all-rounder, playing his first Test after three years, claimed a superb 7/59. While Sundar duly wreaked havoc, it was Ravichandran Ashwin who started off the damage. The veteran claimed the first three wickets, which also helped him etch himself a huge record.
With his third strike of Devon Conway, Ashwin completed 531 wickets in the longest format of the game. This is the most number of dismissals among active players in Test history. Ashwin, who has bowled in 196 innings, has 531 wickets at an outstanding average of 23.78. He has surpassed Australia’s Nathan Lyon, who has 530 wickets in 242 innings.
Highest wicket-takers in Tests (active players) ft. Ravichandran Ashwin
Player | Wickets |
---|---|
Ravichandran Ashwin | 531 |
Nathan Lyon | 530 |
Tim Southee | 385 |
Mitchell Starc | 358 |
Trent Boult | 317 |
Ravichandran Ashwin the Test match master!
It won’t be an overstatement to say that R Ashwin is the best spinner India has ever produced alongside legend Anil Kumble. With his astute mind and ever-evolving skills, Ashwin has made a niche for himself in outclassing the opposition batters. In India, he is almost unplayable. In 64 Tests at home, the Tamil Nadu superstar has bagged 378 wickets, with the best match figures of 13/140. He takes a wicket after every 21.31 runs, which is the second-best by any bowler at home venues. Ashwin’s bowling strike rate of 45.7 is also the second-best at home after Dale Steyn’s 40.2 in South Africa.