India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday surpassed pace bowling great Kapil Dev’s 434 wickets in the second Test against Sri Lanka.
Ashwin sent back Charith Asalanka for 20 with his off spin on day three in Mohali to become India’s second-highest wicket-taker behind spin legend Anil Kumble, who finished his career with 619 Test scalps.
Ashwin, 35, also left behind Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath (433) to move inside the world’s top 10 wicket-takers led by Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and late Australia great Shane Warne (708).
“It’s a big thing in his cricketing career to achieve that feat,” skipper Rohit Sharma said after India’s victory by an innings and 222 runs inside three days.
“I have been watching Ashwin for a long time now, and every time I watch him, he seems to get better and better.”
Rohit called the off spinner, who finished the match with six wickets and improved his career tally to 426 scalps in 85 Tests, an “all-time great”.
Dev, who led India to their first-ever World Cup triumph in 1983, ended his career after 131 Tests in 1994 above New Zealand pace ace Richard Hadlee (431) and held the wickets record till 2000.
Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 and has been the team’s leading spinner in home conditions.
