R Ashwin surpasses Anil Kumble to create new Indian wicket-taking record in Asia, now only behind Muralitharan

2 months ago | 5 Views

Ravichandran Ashwin continued his record-setting ways from the opening Test as India and Bangladesh take each other on in the second match of their series in Kanpur.

Ashwin dismissed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in the second session, catching the left-handed batter LBW with a straight ball. Ashwin’s seventh wicket of the series sees him as the top wicket-taker so far.

More significantly, this was Ashwin’s 420th wicket on Asian pitches — a number which takes him over Anil Kumble, and places him as an outright second in the list for bowlers with the most wickets in Indian conditions, behind only Muttiah Muralitharan.

LEADING WICKET TAKERS IN ASIA (TESTS)

Muttiah Muralitharan: 612

Ravichandran Ashwin: 420

Anil Kumble: 419

Rangana Herath: 354

Harbhajan Singh: 300

Ashwin has established himself in exalted company, above players such as Kumble, Rangana Herath, and Harbhajan Singh. However, the 38-year-old remains well short of the legendary Muralitharan’s numbers in Test cricket.

420 of Ashwin’s 523 Test wickets have come in India, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka, where he has bowled with an average of 21.38. Out of these, 370 have come in India, with an even better average of 21.13. Ashwin sits comfortably on top of the wickets in India list, with Kumble in second with 350.

Ashwin is chasing a host of records in which Muralitharan sits on top, with his five-fer in Chennai tying him for second-most five-fers alongside Shane Warne. The off-spinner has been a part of India’s Test team on a consistent basis since his debut in 2011, and is still going strong even as he grows closer to his 40th birthday and showing no signs of slowing down.

The first day’s play in Kanpur had to be called short with only 35 overs bowled, as a combination of bad light and rain forced an early stumps. Bangladesh sit at 107-3 with Mominul Haque batting on 40*, with Akash Deep’s pair of wickets and Ashwin’s scalp doing the damage for India.

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