Ravichandran Ashwin Joins Nathan Lyon To Become Joint Highest Wicket-Taker In Tests In 2017

The day when Australia bowler Nathan Lyon became the highest wicket-taker in the season, India's Ravichandran Ashwin too equalled him in the span of few hours. In the ongoing Ashes Test at Adelaide, the Australian off-spinner dismissed Alastair Cook (37), Moeen Ali (25), Stuart Broad (3) and James Anderson (0) to reach the tally of 55 wickets and claim the top spot in the current season. While Ashwin, who is playing against Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi, dismissed Angelo Mathews (111), Roshen Silva (0) and Niroshan Dickwella (0) to become the joint highest wicket-taker in 2017 along with Lyon.

Lyon achieved the feat in his ninth Test this year, while Ashwin took 11 matches to reach the milestone. Both off-spinners are sitting on top of the tally with 55 wickets this year.

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada is on third in the list with 54 wickets in 10 matches.

India's Ravindra Jadeja is fifth in the list behind fourth-placed Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath, who has 51 scalps to his name.

Meanwhile, last week, Ashwin became the quickest to reach 300 wickets in the history of Test cricket. India's ace off-spinner broke the record of Australian legend Dennis Lillee, set in 1981, reaching the landmark in 54 Test matches. Lillee took 56 matches to reach the same mark. After his record-breaking show that helped India register a massive 239-run win over Sri Lanka in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.

Ashwin said he now hopes to double his tally of 300 Test wickets. "I really hope I can go on to double these 300 wickets. I've only played 50 Tests," said the 31-year-old off-spinner after India crushed Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the second Test in Nagpur.