'First Indian Left-Armer to 350': How Ravindra Jadeja Rewrite Test History at Galle
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Ravindra Jadeja became the first Indian left-arm bowler to reach 350 Test wickets on Monday after dismissing Sri Lanka's Keshara Nuwantha during the first Test at Galle.
The 37-year-old spinner achieved the milestone in the third session of Day 3 when Nuwantha mis-timed a shot to covers, where Shubman Gill snapped up the chance off a deflection from Yashasvi Jaiswal at silly point. Returning to the Test side after missing the recent fixture against Afghanistan, Jadeja entered the record books while breaking a crucial sixth-wicket stand for the hosts.
The wicket leaves former paceman Zaheer Khan second among Indian left-armers with 311 wickets. Overall, Jadeja is the fifth Indian bowler to breach the 350-wicket mark in Test cricket, joining Anil Kumble (619), Ravichandran Ashwin (537), Kapil Dev (434), and Harbhajan Singh (417).
On the global stage, Jadeja stands as only the third left-arm spinner to touch this tally, alongside Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath (433) and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori (362).
Quadruple Club Membership
The landmark also elevates Jadeja into an exclusive group of all-rounders in Test history. With over 4,000 runs already under his belt, he becomes only the fourth player to combine 4,000-plus runs with 350-plus wickets in the longest format.
He now shares that rare distinction with Kapil Dev (5,248 runs and 434 wickets), Ian Botham (5,200 runs and 383 wickets), and Daniel Vettori (4,531 runs and 362 wickets).
India Break Sri Lankan Resistance
Jadeja’s breakthrough came at a vital juncture for the visitors. Sri Lanka had mounted a spirited fightback through an impressive 146-run alliance between Niroshan Dickwella, who hit 80 on his return to the national setup after three years, and youngster Sonal Dinusha, who compiled a gritty 89.
The duo resurrected the Sri Lankan innings from a precarious 90 for 5, dragging the score to 236 before Prasidh Krishna dismissed Dickwella. Jadeja struck shortly after to end Nuwantha's stay and stem the hosts' momentum.
India had earlier posted a formidable first-innings total of 462, powered by Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 alongside half-centuries from KL Rahul (82) and Dhruv Jurel (51).
