IND vs NZ Live: Days after going past Harbhajan Singh‘s tally of 417 Test wickets and becoming India’s third-highest wicket-taker in the format, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday became the first bowler to register 50 or more scalps in 2021. Follow IND vs NZ Live on InsideSport.IN.
The 35-year-old, who did not get to play a single Test match during the 5-Test England series, is currently playing in his 8th Test match in 2021. He has three five-wicket hauls in his kitty this year.
IND vs NZ Live: Ashwin becomes first bowler to take 50 Test wickets in 2021, breaks Kumble and Harbhajan’s record
Shaheen Afridi is second on the list with 44 Test wickets in 9 matches this year, while his compatriot Hasan Ali has as many as 39 wickets to his name from the 8 games he has featured in the ongoing year. India’s Axar Patel, who made his debut in the longest format in February this year, is a distant fourth with 35 scalps. The ongoing second Test against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium is Axar Patel’s 5th Test match of the year.
Ashwin registered bowling figures of 8-2-8-4 in the first innings, while on Sunday he dismissed New Zealand captain Tom Latham and then and Will Young to reach to the milestone. Later in the match, the Chennai tweaker also got the wicket of dangerous Ross Taylor.
Ashwin gets his third as Ross Taylor departs after scoring 6 runs.
Live – https://t.co/CmrJV47AeP #INDvNZ @Paytm pic.twitter.com/VExwF4Qg67
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 5, 2021
Ashwin goes past Kumble and Harbhajan in elite list
Notably, Ashwin has taken 50 or more wickets in a calendar year for the fourth tim in his career now. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have achieved the feat three times each.
Indians taking 50+ Test wickets in most calendar years:
4* – R Ashwin (2015, 2016, 2017, 2021)
3 – Anil Kumble (1999, 2004, 2006)
3 – Harbhajan Singh (2001, 2002, 2008)
Talking about the match, India are seven wickets away from winning the 2-Test series 1-0. After bundling out New Zealand for 62 in the first innings, India declared their second innings at 276/7 to post a 540-run target for the visitors.
IND vs NZ Live: Ashwin becomes first bowler to take 50 Test wickets in 2021, breaks Kumble and Harbhajan’s record
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