IND vs AUSR Ashwin becomes third-highest wicket-taker for India across formats

By India Today Sports DeskStar all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin went past World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev to become the third-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket. Ashwin surpassed Kapil, who had 687 wickets in 448 innings for India, with his 688th scalp in his 347th innings after trapping Alex Carey in front of the wickets for lbw.

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Ashwin returned with a three-wicket haul to help India bowl out Australia for 197 on the second day of the third Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium against Australia in Indore on Thursday. The hosts were able to limit the visitors’ lead thanks to Ashwin’s performance, which included the wickets of Peter Handscomb, Carey, and Nathan Lyon.

With the three wickets, Ashwin now has 689 international wickets, surpassing Kapil Dev (687), to become India’s third-highest wicket-taker across all formats. The top two positions are held by Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707).

Most wickets for India across formats (innings):
953 (499) – Anil Kumble
707 (442) – Harbhajan Singh
688* (347) – Ravichandran Ashwin
687 (448) – Kapil Dev
597 (373) – Zaheer Khan

In 171 Test innings, Ashwin has taken 466 wickets for an average of 23.93 while he has taken 72 wickets in 65 T20 Internationals and 151 in ODIs. With 953 wickets in 499 innings across all formats, Anil Kumble tops the list, and Harbhajan Singh is second with 707 wickets in 442 innings.

In the third and penultimate Test, India dismissed Australia for 197 and must overcome an 88-run deficit before setting a difficult target for the Steve Smith-led side. With a 2-0 lead in the four-match Test series, India needs another win to secure a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be held on June 7 at The Oval in London.