Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is in top form in the ongoing second Test against New Zealand, being played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. On Thursday (October 24), the 38-year-old added three wickets to his tally during New Zealand’s first innings, propelling him to become the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Playing in his 104th Test, Ashwin surpassed Australian spinner Nathan Lyon’s record of 530 wickets. Ashwin achieved this milestone by first dismissing New Zealand captain Tom Latham (15) on the fifth ball of his opening over. He then claimed the wicket of Will Young (18) at the end of the 24th over, with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant taking the catch. His third dismissal came when Devon Conway, who scored 76, was caught once again by Pant.
The all-time record for the most wickets in Test cricket is held by Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan, with 800 wickets. He is followed by Australia’s Shane Warne (708), England’s James Anderson (704), India’s Anil Kumble (619), England’s Stuart Broad (604), and Australia’s Glenn McGrath (563). Ashwin now sits seventh with 531* wickets, just ahead of Nathan Lyon, who has 530.
In addition to this achievement, Ashwin also became the leading wicket-taker in the World Test Championship, surpassing Lyon. Ashwin has now taken 189 wickets in 39 WTC matches, while Lyon has 187 wickets in 43 matches.
If Ashwin secures two more wickets in this match’s first innings, it will mark his 38th five-wicket haul in Tests, enabling him to surpass Shane Warne’s record of 37 five-wicket hauls.
1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800
2. Shane Warne (Australia) – 708
3. James Anderson (England) – 704
4. Anil Kumble (India) – 619
5. Stuart Broad (England) – 604
6. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563
7. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 531*
8. Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 530
1. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 189*
2. Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 187
3. Pat Cummins (Australia) – 175
4. Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 147
5. Stuart Broad (England) – 134
