Kapil Dev, one of the finest cricketers from India, made some historic global acclaim in the game of cricket on January 30, 1994. In the second Test against Sri Lanka at Bengaluru, Kapil Dev reached 431 Test wickets, equaling the feat achieved by Sir Richard Hadlee. When the Test match concluded, India triumphed by an innings and 95 runs.
Mohammad Azharuddin, the Indian captain at that time, was the Player of the Match and presented the trophy to the legendary Indian all-rounder. Kapil Dev had capped his splendid Test career with an impressive tally of 434 wickets, playing 131 matches in that format of the game, most of which he led India to win.
Today, when Kapil Dev commemorates one of his historic feats, we take a look at that special fixture between India and Sri Lanka.
India was invited to bat after winning the toss, and that decision proved to be spot on. Thanks to two brilliant knocks put together by Azharuddin, Sidhu, and Tendulkar, India managed to breach the 500-run total.
Mohammad Azharuddin scored a century, while Navjot Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar missed out on their centuries by one and four runs respectively. Batting at position number seven, Kapil Dev made a significant contribution, remaining unbeaten on 53 off 68 balls. His innings was peppered with six boundaries and a couple of towering sixes.
#OnThisDay in 1994, @therealkapildev took his 432nd Test wicket.
— ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2021
It took him past Sir Richard Hadlee for the most ever.
Do you know who he dismissed to claim the record? pic.twitter.com/OVAvCk2fC5
India thus announced to declare their innings at 541 for the loss of six wickets. Muttiah Muralitharan took four wickets in the first innings. Sri Lanka’s performance was certainly one that would have been best off forgetting as it managed to scrounge together just 231 in their first innings; Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble both achieved a three wicket haul, while Manoj Prabhakar took four.
It was once again a miserable batting for Sri Lanka in the second innings, as they managed to add just 215. Sri Lanka at once during the second innings was 188 for the loss of eight wickets, with Kapil Dev a couple of wickets short of overtaking Sir Richard Hadlee’s 431 Test wickets.
It seemed as if Kapil Dev would have to wait till the next Test to equal the record. But in quick time, he had Pramodya Wickramasinghe and Don Anurasiri in the pavilion, hence making the milestone. Kapil Dev picked up 2/41 in the second inning off 8.3 overs.
