I Am Happy For Him - Kapil Dev Congratulates Ravichandran Ashwin On Going Past His 434 Test Wickets

India’s greatest all-rounder Kapil Dev congratulated Ravichandran Ashwin after the off-spinner went past his haul of 434 Test wickets during the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka in Mohali, which India won by an innings and 222 runs.

Ashwin made 61 runs in the only innings India batted and picked six wickets in total. In the process, he went past Sir Richard Hadlee (431), Rangana Herath (433), and Kapil Dev (434) to become the ninth highest wicket-taker in Test matches.

He also became the second-highest Test wicket-takers for India as well, after going past Kapil Dev’s 434-wicket mark and is now behind only Anil Kumble’s record haul of 619 wickets.

Why Should I Hold It [The Second Position] From Him? My Time Has Passed: Kapil Dev On Ravi Ashwin Passing Him Test Wickets List

Kapil Dev was the second bowler in Test history to take 400 wickets and broke the record of Hadlee’s 431 in 1994, shortly retiring from the game altogether after 131 Tests and 225 ODI matches from 1979-1994. Kapil’s world record of most wickets 434 was beaten by Courtney Walsh.

Kapil held the record for the most Test wickets by an Indian cricketer for 10 years before it was broken by Anil Kumble in 2004 during a Test match against Bangladesh, and now 18 years later, Ashwin finds himself next only to Kumble.

“It’s a great achievement especially from a guy who did not get enough opportunities in the recent past. Had he got those opportunities, he would have crossed 434 much earlier. I am happy for him; why should I hold it [the second position] from him? My time has passed,” Kapil told Mid-Day in an interview.

As for the future, Ashwin, at 35, will need a truckload of wickets to go past Kumble, but in case he doesn’t, Kapil has backed the ace India spinner to achieve one more humongous feat for his country.

“Ashwin is a fabulous cricketer, an excellent and intelligent spinner. He should now target 500 Test scalps, which I am sure he will try and achieve. In fact, many more [wickets] than that,” Kapil said.

India will face Sri Lanka in the second Test of the series in Bengaluru, which will be a D/N affair starting from March 12.

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