Kuldeep Becomes the Fastest Indian to 50 Test Wickets (By Balls)

In the fifth and final Test match between India and England that began on Thursday in Dharamsala, all eyes were on Ravichandran Ashwin playing his 100th Test. But it was another Indian spinner who stole the show! Kuldeep Yadav rained havoc on England with a fantastic bowling performance. He took a whopping five wickets (5-72) and put Team India in control on day one. This impressive bowling not only restricted England to a low score of 218 runs but also made history for Kuldeep himself.

With this five-wicket haul, Kuldeep became the fastest Indian bowler to reach 50 wickets in Test matches! He achieved this feat in just 1871 balls bowled, surpassing his teammates like Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah. This is the first time an Indian bowler has reached this milestone in less than 2000 balls! You could say it was Kuldeep’s outstanding five-fer that triggered England’s collapse, asserting India’s dominance over England in the fifth Test match.

Kuldeep’s bowling magic wreaked mayhem after England chose to bat first. He dismissed important batsmen, including Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes, meanwhile, Jadeja took the wicket of Joe Root, leaving England’s batting lineup all-crumbled to just 218. This was Kuldeep’s fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and it came in just his 12th Test match!

Kuldeep has been a key player in India’s comeback this series. Though he didn’t play the first Test, he’s taken a total of 17 wickets in just seven innings so far! He’s currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the entire series.

While Kuldeep was the star of the show, credit also goes to Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his 100th Test. Ashwin chipped in with four wickets (4-51), and together, these two spinners created a web that England just couldn’t break free from. India’s spin duo proved to be too strong for England, showcasing their dominance on the field.

The stage is set for an exciting few days of Test cricket in Dharamsala, with India in a commanding position thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s magical bowling and a solid opening partnership with Ashwin. Who knows, what more records shall be broken till the time this all ends.

Fastest Indians To Reach 50 Test Wickets (In Terms Of Balls Bowled)

1871 – Kuldeep Yadav

2205 – Axar Patel

2524 – Jasprit Bumrah

2606 – Karsan Ghavri

2700 – Umesh Yadav

2726 – Narendra Hirwani

2726 – Ravichandran Ashwin

Fastest Indians To Reach 50 Test Wickets (In Terms Of Matches Played)

09 – R Ashwin

10 – Anil Kumble Kumble

11 – Subhash Gupte

11 – Naridner Hirwani

11 – Harbhajan Singh

11 – Jasprit Bumrah

12 – BS Chandrasekar

12 – E Prasanna

12 – Axar Patel

12 – Kuldeep Yadav