Ravichandran Ashwin surpasses Anil Kumble on list of bowlers with most Test wickets in Asia on Day 1 of 2nd IND vs BAN 2024 Test
Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has gone past leg-spin legend Anil Kumble on the list of bowlers with most Test wickets in Asia. The 38-year-old achieved the feat on Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh at Green Park in Kanpur on Friday, September 27.
India won the toss and bowled first in the second Test, but only 35 overs were possible on a rain-curtailed Day 1. Ashwin picked up the third wicket to fall in Bangladesh's innings in the 29th over, ending opposition captain Najmul Hossain Shanto's stay at the crease for 31 off 57 balls. Shanto missed an in-drifter from off-spinner Ashwin and was trapped in front of the stumps.
The dismissal marked the Tamil Nadu cricketer's 420th scalp in Test matches in Asia. Kumble ended his career with 419 scalps in Tests played in Asia. Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan tops the list with 612 Test wickets in Asia. Former Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (354) and former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (300) also feature in the top five.
Before Ashwin dismissed Shanto on Day 1 of the Kanpur Test, pacer Akash Deep made early inroads, dismissing both the opening batters. The right-arm bowler had Zakir Hasan brilliantly caught at slip by for Yashasvi Jaiswal a 24-ball duck. Shadman Islam (24) was then trapped lbw with one that came in with the angle from round the wicket. India took a smart review to get the decision in their favor.
Others records Ashwin can possibly break in the 2nd IND vs BAN 2024 Test
Ashwin is at the stage of his career where he seems to break some record or the other in almost every Test match that he plays. He can surpass a few records in the ongoing Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur as well.
The 38-year-old needs only two scalps to become the leading wicket-taker in India vs Bangladesh Tests. Playing in his eighth match, he has claimed 30 wickets so far. Former India left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan (31) holds the current record.
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder also needs three scalps to become the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. He has 49 wickets so far, while Australia's Josh Hazlewood has picked up 51.
With his six-wicket haul in Chennai, Ashwin equaled Shane Warne's tally of 37 five-fers in Test cricket. With one more five-wicket haul, he would go past the Aussie legend and occupy the second position on the list of bowlers with most Test five-fers, behind Muttiah Muralitharan (67).