Ravichandran Ashwin goes past Anil Kumble to become highest Test wicket-taker in India

Ravichandran Ashwin became the highest wicket-taker in Tests in India on Sunday, February 25. The off-spinner picked up back-to-back scalps of England's Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in Ranchi to register his 350th and 351st in his 59th game at home.

He went past one of his idols and legendary former India leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who snapped up exactly 350 wickets in 63 Tests between 1993 and 2008. Both of them are head and shoulders above Harbhajan Singh (265 from 55) at third. Kapil Dev (219 from 65) is fourth and the top wicket-taking pacer in Tests in India.

Ashwin achieved the landmark with a brilliant average of 21.46, only bettered by his long-term partner-in-crime, Ravindra Jadeja, who is fifth in the overall list with 210 wickets from 43 Tests at 20.84.

Duckett was caught poking at an inward-angling ball which bounced more than he expected and the deflection off the sticker of his bat went straight to forward short leg. Pope was then caught on the backfoot with a slider as he played for the turn but the ball came in quickly to hit him in front of the leg stump.

Ashwin takes another, gets help from Kuldeep Yadav to put India in a dominating position

His record-breaking wickets came when India needed them the most. They conceded a 46-run deficit and needed early breakthroughs to put the visitors under pressure and continue the momentum provided by Dhruv Jurel's 90.

Ashwin went one step further by trapping perhaps the most important batter in the opposition lineup, Joe Root, who scored an unbeaten 100 in the previous innings, in front for an LBW. Kuldeep Yadav then chipped in with the wickets of a dangerous-looking Zak Crawley and skipper Ben Stokes to put India in the game.

It's only getting more interesting. Catch all the live action here.

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