R Ashwin surpassed Kapil Dev’s tally of 434 Test wickets in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Mohali. Ashwin is now the second-highest wicket-taker for the country behind Anil Kumble.
The legendary all-rounder Kapil reacted to the off-spinners achievement.
He held the record for 10 years before Anil Kumble surpassed it in 2004 during a Test against Bangladesh, and now 18 years later, Ashwin finds himself in second place.
Kapil heaped massive praise on the spinner, saying that he would have broken his record a bit earlier if Ashwin had received more chances.
“It is a big achievement for a guy who hasn’t been part of the playing XI in the recent past. He would have crossed 434 a bit earlier if he played a lot more. I am happy for him. My time has passed,” Kapil told Mid-Day in an interview. Ashwin will need a lot of wickets to cross Kumble’s tally of 619.
Kapil has backed the ace India spinner to achieve another milestone.
“Ashwin is a great competitor, and now he should target 500 Test wickets. I am sure he will achieve that and will add many more wickets than that,” said Kapil.