India vs England 2021: Ravichandran Ashwin Overtakes Harbhajan Singh To Become Second-Highest Test Wicket-Taker In India

India’s premier off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin has now become the second-highest Test wicket-taker on Indian soil. Ashwin achieved this feat on Day 2 of the ongoing Test match against England in Chennai.

R Ashwin has taken 4 wickets, at the time of writing this piece, in England’s first innings. He dismissed Dom Sibley, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, and Olly Stone as his first 4 scalps on Sunday.

With the wicket of Ben Stokes, R Ashwin surpassed veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s tally of 265 wickets in India. In India, Ashwin now has taken – as with Stokes’ wicket – 267 scalps at an average of 22.6 – better than Harbhajan’s 28.76 – with 22 five-wicket innings hauls and 6 ten-wicket match hauls.

Ahead of Ashwin remains only Anil Kumble; the former leg-spinner snared a record 350 wickets in India at an average of 24.88.

Overall, Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan leads the chart for most Test wickets on home soil with 493 wickets followed by England’s James Anderson and India’s Anil Kumble.

R Ashwin on top of England; the visitors 8 down by Tea on Day 2

England are in a pickle as they have lost 8 wickets by Tea on Day 2 after India posted 329 runs. Rory Burns was handed his consecutive duck by Ishant Sharma and Dom Sibley was caught by the Indian captain, Virat Kohli off the bowling of R Ashwin.

It was the wicket of England captain, Joe Root, who was Man of the Match in the first Test, which had put India firmly on the top of the visitors. Root was dismissed playing a sweep shot by debutant Axar Patel.

Ashwin bagged two more wickets on either side of lunch: Dan Lawrence, on the last ball before lunch, was caught by Shubman Gill at short leg; post the break, the off-spinner castled Ben Stokes with a beautiful loopy off-spinner.

Ollie Pope was caught superbly down the leg side by Rishabh Pant off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj. Patel nicked Moeen Ali as Ajinkya Rahane took a brilliant catch at slip. And Ashwin returned to dismiss Olly Stone before Tea break as England fight to avoid the follow-on trailing by 223 more runs.

Also Read: Watch: Virat Kohli’s Reaction After Rishabh Pant Smokes Moeen Ali For A Six Over Long-Off