Ravichandran Ashwin has overtaken former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram on the list of highest Test wickets by a single bowler in cricket history. The right-arm off-spinner scalped three wickets in the first innings of the ongoing Kanpur Test match between the Indian cricket team and the New Zealand cricket team.
Ashwin opened his account by breaking the opening partnership between Tom Latham and Will Young. He dismissed Young caught behind. Later in the innings of the New Zealand cricket team, Ravichandran Ashwin picked up the wickets of all-rounder Kyle Jamieson and tail-ender William Somerville. Jamieson handed a catch to Axar Patel, whereas William lost his stumps to Ashwin.
Thanks to his brilliant bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin is now ahead of former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram on the highest wicket-takers in Test cricket list. After the 3-wicket haul against the New Zealand cricket team, the Indian right-arm off-spinner now has 416 Test wickets to his name in 80 matches. The Tamil Nadu-based all-rounder has taken 30 five-wicket hauls and seven 10-wicket match hauls in his career.
Wasim Akram played a total of 104 Test matches for the Pakistan cricket team, where he picked up 414 wickets. Akram had 25 five-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket match hauls during his career.
Ravichandran Ashwin on the verge of overtaking Harbhajan Singh
After the three-wicket haul against the New Zealand cricket team, Ashwin is one wicket behind Harbhajan Singh in the list. Harbhajan scalped 417 Test wickets for India. Recently, Salman Butt had heaped praise on Ashwin and labeled him one of the best spinners in the world.
“I think there are 2-3 very good spinners. Ashwin is one, Nathan Lyon is another. They are top-quality spinners. Yasir Shah has not played much of late. He took 200 wickets very quickly,” Salman Butt had said on his YouTube channel few days back. Ashwin proved him and many other cricket experts right.