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The veteran Indian off-spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has feathered another record in the longest format of the game, where he went past the Australian veteran spinner during the first innings of the second Test match against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune.

Ravichandran Ashwin was a little cold in the last game in Bengaluru, where he picked up only the solitary wicket of Devon Conway in the first innings, besides giving away 94 runs in 16 overs, while in the second, the decision to bring him late into the attack by Rohit Sharma sparked a few comments of showing under confidence.

That put pressure on the Tamil Nadu-born immensely coming into this Test match, especially after their team went 1-0 down, having lost their first home Test match against the Blackcaps after an end of 36 years. The onus was on the Indian team to show some urgency to make a comeback in the series.

Ravichandran Ashwin enjoyed a great time during the opening Test of the home summer in Chennai against Bangladesh, where he rescued the side with the bat thanks to his century besides enjoying a five-wicket haul later in the contest.

Ravichandran Ashwin goes past Nathan Lyon with 531 Test scalps

The pressure felt heavier on the shoulder of the veteran when on black soil, low and slow turner surface Rohit lost the toss and was put to bowl first. The onus was now on him to create more opportunities to put India in a better situation by the end of the day’s play.

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Ravichandran Ashwin came into the attack after the first half-an-hour in the contest and eventually trapped the opponent captain, Tom Latham, before the stumps for 15 runs in 22 deliveries. He then found the edge of Will Young, who got it faintly in the leg side.

The third wicket stand of 62 runs before Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra was taking the game away from the home side, and that again drove Rohit to throw the ball back to the 38-year-old, who found the outside edge of Conway on 76 runs.

With that very wicket, Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed his 531st wicket in the red-ball format, putting him over the Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who has bagged 530 Test scalps in 129 games at an average of over 30 and a strike rate of nearly ten overs, thanks to 24 five-wicket hauls at a best bowling of 8/50 in an innings.

The Indian bowler has gone past him with 531 scalps in the 196thinnings at an average of under 24 and a strike rate of around 50, with the help of 37 five-wicket hauls at a best bowling figure of 7/51 in an innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin sits at the seventh position among the highest wicket-takers in the Test matches and finds himself in a race to go over the former Australia pace bowler Glenn McGrath, who earned 563 scalps in 124 games at an average of 21.64.

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This has been a massive boost for the bowler, who will be eager to continue the same form during the upcoming five-match Test series in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. During the ongoing second Test in Pune, he has figures of 3/48 in the first 19 overs.