R Ashwin becomes only 2nd bowler in cricket history to achieve unique feat, joins Muralitharan in elite list

Image Source : AP R Ashwin picked three wickets in New Zealand's first innings in the ongoing Pune Test

Senior India off-spinner R Ashwin began the wickets procession for his side against New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test in Pune but it was his understudy, Washington Sundar, who stole his thunder by galloping seven Kiwi batters to finish off the visitors' innings much before that it was earlier anticipated, especially after how they started. Sundar in his comeback Test, registered his best first-class figures of 7/59 as New Zealand collapsed to 259 all-out from 197/3.

Sundar achieved quite a few records, however, Ashwin even with three wickets managed to get his name in a unique list in international cricket. Ashwin dismissed New Zealand skipper Tom Latham, Will Young and Devon Conway in the first innings. With the wicket of Latham, whom he trapped LBW in front of wickets, R Ashwin registered his 116th LBW dismissal in Tests and 150th in international cricket. Ashwin became only the second bowler to have 150 LBW dismissals in international cricket after Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 166 dismissals in the same mode.

As far as just Tests are concerned, Ashwin is already the leader with 116 dismissals, followed by Muralitharan (110).

Most LBW dismissals for a bowler in international cricket

166 - Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)

150 - R Ashwin (India)
131 - Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka)
131 - Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
128 - Anil Kumble (India)

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The other two dismissals were caught behind with the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant grabbing them cleanly as Ashwin ended up with three wickets in the innings as India required only those two to bowl out New Zealand. With those three wickets, Ashwin also became the leading wicket-taker in World Test Championship (WTC) history and went past Nathan Lyon to become the active player with most Test wickets - 531.

India lost skipper Rohit Sharma's wicket before the stumps on Day 1 but will hope that the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli can overhaul the deficit and help India take a lead till the time the Pune track is still good enough to bat.