India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday added another feather to his illustrious international cap as he completed 350 Test wickets on home soil.
Ashwin dismissed Ben Duckett to achieve the feat and then broke Anil Kumble's record for the most Test wickets in India by sending back Ollie Pope off the very next ball.
Ashwin opened the attack for India in England's second innings and immediately rewarded his captain with Duckett's wicket in the 5th over. Pope departed for a golden duck off the next delivery as Ashwin reduced the visitors to 19 for 2 in the second session on Day 3 of the Ranchi Test.
Ashwin now has 351 Test wickets in India, one more than Kumble. They are the only two bowlers to take 300-plus wickets on home soil.
The 37-year-old also completed 100 Test wickets against England during this match to become the only Indian with a century of scalps against two different opponents in red-ball cricket.
Most Test wickets vs an opponent for India:
R Ashwin - 114 wickets from 22 matches vs Australia
Anil Kumble - 111 wickets from 20 matches vs Australia
R Ashwin - 102 wickets from 23 matches vs England
Kapil Dev - 99 wickets from 29 matches vs Pakistan
The Tamil Nadu cricket legend has also become the second Indian after Kumble to complete 400 Test Wickets in Asia, becoming the third bowler overall to achieve the feat.
Ashwin's Test strikes in Asia:
352 wickets in India
38 wickets in Sri Lanka
12 wickets in Bangladesh
India fight back in Ranchi Test
Ashwin struck twice early after India got bowled out for 307 in the first session to concede a lead of 46 runs to England.
Dhruv Jurel led India's fightback with a career-best score of 90 while Yashasvi Jaiswal made 73 while Shoaib Bashir finished with a maiden five-wicket haul for England.
Notably, England had posted 353 in their first innings on Day 2 thanks to Joe Root's unbeaten 122.
