R Ashwin breaks Kapil Dev’s record of most wickets in home season

Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed Kapil Dev’s 37-year-old Indian record of most Test wickets in a domestics season on Day 2 of first Test in PUne. While Kapil had 63 wickets, Ashwin now has 64 wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday broke Kapil Dev’s 37-year-old Indian record of most Test wickets in a domestic season on the second day of the first Test against Australia in Pune on Friday.

Pune: Indian bowler R Ashwin celebrates with teammates the wicket of Australian batsman Matt Renshaw on the first day of the first test match in Pune on Thursday. PTI Photo by Shashank Parade (PTI2_23_2017_000099B) (PTI)

Ashwin, the fastest in the world to reach 250 Test wicket mark recently, dismissed overnight batsman Mitchell Starc with the fifth ball of the first over to end the visitors’ first innings at 260 and take his tally of wickets in the current home season to 64 in 10 Test matches.

Ashwin, thus, went past Kapil’s earlier mark of 63 wickets in 13 Tests created way back on 1979-80 at the beginning of the great all-rounder’s career.

Ashwin had grabbed 61 wickets in 10 Tests in the 2012-13 home season when he first served notice of his potential at the international level.

This home season the off-spinner has taken 27 wickets in three Test matches against New Zealand, 28 in five against England and six in one against Bangladesh.