Last Update: March 13, 2023, 2:39 pm IST
India’s Axar Patel celebrates a wicket (AP)
Axar Patel took the fewest balls to reach 50-Test wickets for India, breaking Jasprit Bumrah’s record
Axar Patel became the fastest Indian to take 50 Test wickets on the fifth day of the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Axar took the fewest number of balls to reach the 50-Test wicket for India, reaching the landmark in just 2205 balls when he dismissed Travis Head.
Jasprit Bumrah had earlier held this record when he took 50 wickets in Test cricket for India.
2465 balls. He was followed by Karsan Ghavri, who achieved the feat in 2534 balls and Ravichandran Ashwin, who did so in 2597 balls.
India vs Australia, 4th Test Day 5: Live
Axar bowled the head on the fifth ball of the 59th over of Australia’s second innings and that too against the run of play.
The left-arm spinner lofted the ball outside off, on the foot of the right, it curled back into the left-hander, taking Head into an ambitious drive. The ball took an inside edge and hit the top of the off stump.
Head was batting incredibly well but had to go back to the dressing room after scoring 90 off 163 balls, in an innings that included 10 strokes to the boundary and two overs.
Akshar has completed 50 wickets in just 12 matches and that too at a strike rate of 44.1 and an average of 17.06.
Axar has taken just three wickets against Australia in four matches, eight wickets in two matches against Bangladesh, nine wickets in two matches against New Zealand and three wickets in one match against Sri Lanka.
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Axar’s success has been highest against England, taking 27 wickets in just three matches.
Axar has been the star for India in the series against Australia, scoring 264 runs in four matches and averaging 88.0 in five innings.
Read this also | Akshar Patel: India’s MVP in the Border Gavaskar Trophy
Akshar is the third-highest run-scorer in the current series and scored crucial fifties in India’s wins in Nagpur and New Delhi, and was the only batsman to remain unbeaten in both innings for the hosts in Indore.
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