With this third wicket in the ongoing WTC Final 2023, Ravindra Jadeja is now officially, statistically, India’s most successful left-arm spinner in Test cricket.
In Australia’s first innings, Jadeja dismissed Alex Carey, and in the second innings, he got rid of the centurions from the first innings – Steve Smith and Travis Head.
With this third wicket of the match at The Oval, his career’s 267th Test scalp, Jadeja went past the legendary Bishan Singh Bedi’s record of 266 Test wickets to become India’s highest Test wicket-taker among left-arm spinners. Following Jadeja and Bedi is Vinoo Mankad with 162 wickets.
Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling average of 24 is also considerably better than Bedi’s 28, although both played in vastly different eras of pitches and batsmen.
Most wickets by Indian left-arm spinners in Tests:
267 – Ravindra Jadeja
266 – Bishan Bedi
162 – Vinoo Mankad
151 – Ravi Shastri
114 – Dilip Doshi
113 – Pragyan Ojha
Jadeja also stands amongst the best left-arm spinners of all time.
Among left-arm spinners, only Rangana Herath (433 wickets), Daniel Vettori (362), and England’s Derek Underwood (297) have taken more Test scalps than India’s Jadeja.
India fight back in World Test Championship Final 2023 to remain alive
India have kept themselves alive in the World Test Championship Final with some spirited show with the bat and then with the ball. In reply to Australia’s first innings total of 469, India started Day 3 at 151/5 and lost KS Bharat on the second ball of the day. However, after that, Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur put a stunning fightback with the bat, adding 109 runs, and avoiding the follow-on. Rahane got out for 89 and Thakur for 51 as India were bowled out for 296.
With the ball, India took timely wickets and by the end of Day 3, Australia have scored 123/4 with a lead of 296 runs. India will hope to bowl Australia out early on Day 4 and go out chasing for a big target.
