Ravichandran Ashwin Surpasses Kapil Dev To Become India's 2nd Highest Wicket-taker In Test Cricket

India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday surpassed the legendary Kapil Dev's haul of 434 wickets to become India second-highest wicket taker in Test cricket. Ashwin went past Kapil when he picked up the wicket of Charith Asalanka, his third of the second innings in Mohali in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka, as India closed in on a big win. He had earlier tied Kapil's tally when he sent back Pathum Nissanka.

Next in sight for Ashwin will be South African great Dale Steyn, who ended his career with 439 wickets. He won't be able to surpass Steyn in this match though and will remain the 9th highest wicket-taker in Test cricket for now.

One of the contemporary greats, Ashwin achieved the feat in his 85th Test match compared to Kapil's 131 games. While the generations and the conditions between the times of Kapil and Ashwin can't be compared and more so because they possessed different skill-sets but, based on pure numbers, the Tamil Nadu man's achievement is phenomenal.

After Rohit Sharma asked Sri Lanka to follow-on after dismissing them for 174, 400 runs adrift of India's first-innings score of 574 for eight, the visitors were in trouble again after Lahiru Thirimanne became Ashwin's 433rd victim.

Post lunch, it was first-innings half-centurion Pathum Nissanka whose outside edge to a delivery that didn't turn much, was snapped by Rishabh Pant to complete a memorable feat for Ashwin.

In between, Mohammed Shami got Dimuth Karunaratne (27) to edge one to Pant, who took a low diving catch while Ravindra Jadeja got his sixth scalp of the game by removing Dhananjaya de Silva (30).

Angelo Mathews (27 batting) and Charith Asalanka (20 batting) hit some lusty blows to entertain the Sunday crowd.

Earlier, Jadeja's