New World Test Championship high for Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin goes past Nathan Lyon's tally in the WTC to add another feather to his crown.
Ashwin started off the second Test against New Zealand in Pune on 186 wickets in the ICC World Test Championship, just one behind Australian spin magician Nathan Lyon.
Ashwin grabbed the first three wickets of the Kiwis’ innings to make the record his own. His first of the day came in his very first over when he dismissed New Zealand captain Tom Latham for 15. It was the ninth time Ashwin had dismissed Latham in Test matches.
He followed it up by removing Will Young (18) and Devon Conway (76), courtesy two sharp catches from Rishabh Pant.
The 38-year-old has also played four fewer Tests than his Australian counterpart, since the World Test Championship began in 2019.
Watch Ashwin get the better of Tom Latham in the WTC 2021 final
Coincidentally, Ashwin also went past Lyon in the all-time top Test wicket-takers list, with 531 scalps in 104 Tests, placing him above the Australian, who has 530 in 129 Tests, and making him the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test history.
Most wickets in the ICC World Test Championship
| Player | WTC wickets |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 189 |
| Nathan Lyon | 187 |
| Pat Cummins | 175 |
| Mitchell Starc | 147 |
| Stuart Broad | 134 |
On day one of the Pune Test, India bowled New Zealand out for 259 with the visitors dismissing skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck before stumps.
While it was Ashwin who struck early for India, it was his off-spinning partner Washington Sundar, returning to the Test fold after three years, that did majority of the damage, finishing with career-best figures of 7/59.