Home
Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin overtook Nathan Lyon as the World Test Championship's (WTC) top wicket-taker, on October 24 (Thursday). Ashwin accomplished the massive feat on the first day of the second Test match between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Since the World Test Championship was introduced in 2019, Ashwin has taken 189 wickets in 39 games at a remarkable average of 20.71 in Test cricket. In 47 games, Nathan Lyon has taken 187 wickets at an average of 26.70 in the WTC. Pat Cummins (175), Mitchell Starc (175), and Stuart Broad (147) round out the top five wicket-takers in the World Test Championship era.
Ashwin surpasses Lyon
R Ashwin has now surpassed Nathan Lyon for the most wickets taken in Test cricket. Ashwin reached 531 in his 104th match after taking three wickets in the Pune first session. Despite playing 25 more Test matches than the Indian off-spinner, Lyon has 530 wickets.
In Test cricket, Ashwin and Lyon have been the most prominent representatives of off-spin bowling. Off the pitch, the two spinners have a good friendship. Lyon and Ashwin have been appreciative for each other's accomplishments despite their fierce competition in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
After going wicketless in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test, R Ashwin quickly recovered and took two wickets in the opening session of the second Test. In Pune, he continued to dominate the New Zealand skipper by getting Tom Latham for the eighth time in his Test career.
Then, before the first session ended, Ashwin got Will Young. Short-leg fielder Sarfaraz Khan persuaded his captain Rohit Sharma to take a review for a caught behind down the leg, earning India the second wicket as a reward for their vigilance on the field. The snickometer displayed the tiny edge that Sarfaraz had picked on the field.
He later broke the partnership between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra by dismissing the opener who was playing at 76 off 141 balls. Conway was playing an astonishing knock just like the first Test but was removed by Ashwin as the very right moment.
