India v Sri Lanka: R Ashwin surpassed Dale Steyn’s 439 wicket tally as he sent off Dhananjhjaya de Silva on day 3 of the pink ball Test in Bengaluru.
IND vs SL: Ashwin passes legendary Dale Steyn by 440th wicket in Tests (AFP Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ashwin went past Dale Steyn’s tally of 439 Test wickets
- The Indian off-spinner is ranked 8th on the all-time list
- Ashwin is the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests
Ravichandran Ashwin entered the top 8 in Test cricket’s all-time leading wicket-taker list on Monday when he took his 440th wicket on Day 3 of the Pink Ball Test against Sri Lanka. Ashwin surpassed legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn’s tally of 439 wickets when he sacked Dhananjaya de Silva in the first session as Sri Lanka stared at a massive loss.
Ashwin now has the most wickets for bowlers in the 400 club and is 79 wickets away from legendary West Indian pacesetter Courtney Walsh, who finished with 519 wickets.
Pink Ball Test, IND vs. SL: Day 3 Live Updates
Ashwin took 2 wickets in the first innings of the Pink Ball Test and followed that up with two more in the 2nd innings ahead of Tea on Day 3 pace after a weak streak in the first hour of the day.
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2nd goal for @ashwinravi99 as Dhananjaya de Silva departs! #TeamIndia | #INDvSL | @Paytm
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Ashwin scored the first breakthrough of the day for India on Monday when he picked up the big wicket from Kusal Mendis who was trying to ease the pressure on the Sri Lankans with a Quickfire Fifty. Ashwin got one to slide through and Mendis stunned.
Remarkably, R Ashwin only surpassed the 434-wicket record of legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev in the first Test at Mohali. Ashwin is now the second highest wicket-taker in Indian cricket history, behind only Anil Kumble, who won 619 wickets in his successful career.
LEADING WICKET-TAKER IN TESTS
- Muttiah Muralitharan – 800 in 133 tests
- Shane Warne – 708 in 145 tests
- James Anderson – 640 in 169 Tests
- Anil Kumble – 619 in 132 tests
- Glenn McGrath – 563 in 124 tests
- Stuart Broad – 537 in 152 tests
- Courtney Walsh – 519 in 132 tests
- R. Ashwin – 440* in 86 tests
- Dale Steyn – 439 in 93 Tests
Ashwin has been a pillar for India in Test cricket, particularly in home conditions, as the off-spinner has run through oppositions with ease over the years. Ashwin is by far the highest wicket taker in the current series with 10 wickets alongside his spin twin Ravindra Jadeja.
Captain Rohi Sharma had helped praise R Ashwin ahead of the 2nd Test by saying he believed the off-spinner was an all-time great.
“In my eyes he is an absolute superstar. He has been playing for so many years and has played for the country. So many match-winning performances, so to me he’s an absolute superstar. People may have a different point of view from the point of view, but from my point of view it’s always great for me,” Rohit Sharma said.
