Never thought of eclipsing Kapil Dev's Test wicket tally: R Ashwin

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said on Sunday, March 6, that he had never thought of going past legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev’s tally of wickets in Tests when he started his career and added that he was grateful to the game for what it has given him.

The 35-year-old bowler bettered Kapil’s tally of 434 wickets in the long format on the third day of the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Mohali to become India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Anil Kumble (619).

Ashwin achieved the feat when he dismissed Lanka’s Charith Asalanka in the second innings. The visitors failed to put up any resistance against the Indian spinners and lost the match by an innings and 222 runs.

Ashwin achieved the feat in just 85 matches, 46 less than Kapil’s 131.

“28 years ago, I was cheering the great @therealkapildev on to get his world record tally of wickets. I never had the slightest of ideas that I would become an off spinner, play for my country and even manage to go past the great mans tally of wickets. I am delighted and very grateful to what this game has given me so far,” Ashwin wrote on his Instagram page after India’s win over Sri Lanka.

It may be mentioned here that Kapil Dev also got his record-making 432nd wicket against Sri Lanka in a Test match in Ahmedabad in 1994. He went past New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee on that occasion to become the world’s highest wicket-taker in the long format.

It was not easy to take wickets in Mohali: Ashwin

Speaking on his performance in the Test match against Lanka, Ashwin said it was not easy to get wickets in the game and he had to bowl tight lengths for sustained periods.

“The surface was a really good one, it was not easy to get batters out when they were defending. You had to bowl tight for sustained periods,” Ashwin said after the match which ended inside three days.

“I think Shami and Jasprit created pressure from the end where it wasn’t turning much,” the veteran spinner said to laud India’s pace bowlers.

He also praised the all-round performance of Ravindra Jadeja who slammed 175 not out and took nine wickets in the game to orchestrate the thumping win.