Seasoned Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is on the brink of surpassing the iconic Anil Kumble's record in the fourth Test against England in Ranchi. Notably, the fourth Test between India and England will start from February 23 in Ranchi. Ashwin requires just three wickets to overtake Kumble as the highest wicket-taker in India in Test cricket.
Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, the Indian team will go up against England in their next encounter at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, beginning on Friday, February 23. The host team currently holds a solid 2-1 series lead after the initial three games.
In the series opener, Ashwin played a pivotal role, claiming three wickets in each innings. Although he did not take any wickets in the first innings of the Visakhapatnam test, he made a remarkable comeback in the second innings by taking three vital wickets.
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In the third Test held at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Ashwin secured two wickets over the two innings. This match was notable for Ashwin as he joined the ranks as the second Indian bowler to amass 500 wickets in Test cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin is just three wickets shy of eclipsing Anil Kumble's record as the leading wicket-taker in India in Tests. Ashwin, with 348 wickets in 58 matches on Indian pitches, boasts an impressive average of 21.32. The 37-year-old spinner has achieved 26 five-wicket hauls and six 10-wicket match hauls, needing merely three wickets to overtake Kumble's record.
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Anil Kumble is at the top of this distinguished list with 350 wickets from 63 Test matches played in India, including 25 five-wicket hauls and seven 10-wicket match hauls. Following them on the list are Harbhajan Singh and Kapil Dev, with 265 and 215 wickets, respectively.
Most Wickets By Indian Bowler In Home Tests
Anil Kumble – 350 wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin – 348 wickets
Harbhajan Singh – 265 wickets
Kapil Dev – 219 wickets
Ravindra Jadeja – 206 wickets
The cricketer from Tamil Nadu first appeared in Test cricket against the West Indies in November 2011. Across 98 Test matches, he has captured 501 wickets at an outstanding average of 23.94, including 34 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket match hauls throughout his distinguished career.
As Ashwin gears up for his 99th Test match for India in Ranchi, he is on the brink of marking another major achievement in his cricket journey. He is about to join the exclusive club as only the third Indian spinner to play 100 Test matches for India, a landmark he is expected to reach in the upcoming Dharamsala match.
India’s updated squad for 4th Test
Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), K.S. Bharat (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
England's Playing XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson
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