[Watch] Ravichandran Ashwin becomes India's 3rd-highest wicket-taker in Tests with a lucky dismissal
Ravichandran Ashwin has gone past Harbhajan Singh to become India's third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. The spinner, who has claimed 418 victims from just 80 matches, is only behind Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev's tally of 619 and 434 respectively.
Ravichandran Ashwin reached the stellar landmark with an atypical dismissal on Monday. In the 55th over of the final innings of the first India-New Zealand Test in Kanpur, he fired in a quick length ball wide outside off stump to Tom Latham.
The left-handed batter was beaten by the slowness of the pitch. He went hard at it with an angled bat, trying to cut it through cover. But he got an under-edge that bounced on to dislodge the bails. The bowler and his teammates afforded cheeky smiles as Latham walked back dishearteningly after a well-made 52.
You can watch the wicket here:
That Ravichandran Ashwin leapfrogged Harbhajan Singh in 23 fewer Tests speaks volumes of his class as a bowler. He's not likely to take much time in going past Kapil Dev. If his fitness allows, Ashwin will have a strong shot at ending his illustrious career as India's best red-ball bowler.
Stat Alert - With 418 wickets, @ashwinravi99 becomes India's third-highest wicket-taker in Tests.
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The wicket also came as a reprieve to the hosts as both Latham and his partner, Kane Williamson, were looking quite comfortable in the middle. The pitch has only slowed down since the beginning of the day but that has also made wicket-taking that much harder.
"Kapil Dev and Ravichandran Ashwin should be spoken of in the same breath" - Dinesh Karthik
That's a big wicket as Ashwin strikes!
Tom Latham departs for 52.
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In what seems like even more appropriate praise now, wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik recently asked for Ravichandran Ashwin to get the same recognition as Kapil Dev, calling the duo India's "two best all-rounders" in a long time.
Karthik told Cricbuzz:
"Obvioulsy, I don't think I am in a place to judge both of them, but I must admit that they should be spoken of in the same breath when it comes to Indian cricket because both of them have been match-winners, have been exemplary, and have been definitely the two best all-rounders to have come out of this soil for a long, long time."
Latham's wicket left New Zealand at 118-3, still 177 behind the target. India will need a collapse of sorts to prevent a draw. Ravichandran Ashwin won't be satisfied with 418 as he and India will hope for more if the hosts have to win the Test.