Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday had another feather in his colourful cap during the Mohali Test against Sri Lanka. The off-spinner went past former captain Kapil Dev’s log standing tally of 434 wickets to become the second-highest wicket taker in the longest format of the game.
Ashwin ended the first Test with a 6-wicket match haul as India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs. He now has 436 wickets to his credit, only behind Anil Kumble’s record of 619 scalps. Back in 2004, the latter became the cricketer with most Test wickets during a Test match against Bangladesh and went ahead Kapil who had held the position for 10 years.
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Kapil heaped massive praise on Ashwin for his phenomenal achievement and said the off-spinner would have broken his record a lot earlier if he had received more chances.
“It’s a great achievement especially from a guy who did not get enough opportunities in the recent past. Had he got those opportunities, he would have crossed 434 much earlier. I am happy for him; why should I hold it [the second position] from him? My time has passed,” Kapil told Mid-Day in an interview.
“Ashwin is a fabulous cricketer, an excellent and intelligent spinner. He should now target 500 Test scalps, which I am sure he will try and achieve. In fact, many more [wickets] than that,” he added.
Ashwin reached the milestone after getting the better of batsman Charith Asalanka for 20 in the second innings. After India’s clinical victory, the off-spinner took to Twitter and heartfelt post on Instagram after going past the legendary Kapil.
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“28 years ago, I was cheering the great @therealkapildev on to get his world record tally of wickets,” he wrote. “I never had the slightest of ideas that I would become an off spinner, play for my country and even manage to go past the great man’s tally of wickets. I am delighted and very grateful to what this game has given me so far,” Ashwin wrote.
India will now face Sri Lanka in the 2nd and the final Test in Bengaluru which gets under on March 12.
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