R Ashwin created yet another record earlier today when he had Mitchell Starc caught by Ravindra Jadeja at deep mid-wicket for 61 in the first over on day 2 of the first Test between India and Australia at the MCA stadium in Pune. With this, Ashwin took his 64th wicket in India this season and surpassed the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, who had accounted for 63 wickets in the country in 1979-80.
Ashwin has been phenomenal for India since the start of the home season and was the architect of India’s win in the 3-0 drubbing against New Zealand as he took 27 Test wickets in those three matches. He was on fire against England and was India’s best bowler in the five-match series as he dismissed 28 English batsmen throughout the series. Against Bangladesh, he managed just six wickets, something that his below par in his standards.
He has carried his form into the last series of the Indian season, the four-match Test series against the Aussies and has started the series on a positive note by picking up 3 wickets in Australia’s first innings. Ashwin’s tally will only improve as the Tamil Nadu off-spinner still has a maximum of 7 more innings left in this season.
Kapil, on the other hand, picked 63 wickets in India in the 1979-80 season, something that is outstanding considering the fact he is a medium pacer and the pitches in India tend to offer a lot of assistance for the spinners. Kapil is also the only medium pacer to feature in the top five of this list.
Extra cover: Top 5 bowling spells by an Indian bowler against Australia in India
The list also includes former Indian skipper and the coach of the current Indian cricket team, Anil Kumble, Bishan Singh Bedi and Ravindra Jadeja. Kumble has picked 54 wickets in the 2004-05 season while Jadeja (2016-17) and Bedi (1976-77) scalped 48 and 57 wickets respectively. Jadeja, who is currently ranked no. 2 in the ICC Test bowlers rankings, has complemented Ashwin well in this home season and might overtake Kapil Dev’s record by the end of the Test series against Australia.
| S. No | Bowler | Wickets | Season |
| 1 | R Ashwin | 64* | 2016-17 |
| 2 | Kapil Dev | 63 | 1979-80 |
| 3 | Anil Kumble | 54 | 2004-05 |
| 4 | Ravindra Jadeja | 48 | 2016-17 |
| 5 | Bishan Singh Bedi | 57 | 1976-77 |
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