Jadeja Enters 350-Wicket Club, Pant’s Historic Sixes Power India in Galle

Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant etched their names into cricket’s record books on a day of milestones at Galle, as India tightened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Jadeja became only the fifth Indian bowler to reach 350 Test wickets, joining an exclusive list that includes Anil Kumble, R. Ashwin, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh. The left-arm spinner’s achievement carried added significance. With over 4,000 Test runs to his name, he is now the second Indian after Kapil Dev to accomplish the double of 350 wickets and 4,000 runs, underlining his value as one of the game’s premier all-rounders.

Pant, meanwhile, redefined the art of Test batting with a record of his own. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed his 100th six in Test cricket, becoming the first Indian and the first Asian to reach the landmark. He now sits third on the all-time list behind England’s Ben Stokes and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, a testament to his transformative impact on the longest format.

India Set Testing Target

India had earlier posted 462 in their first innings before being bowled out for 193 in the second, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target of 372 for victory. The hosts reached 84 for 4 at stumps, still needing 288 runs with six wickets in hand.

Standout moments included a dramatic DRS intervention for KL Rahul, prompted by teammate Devdutt Padikkal, which saved the batter from an early dismissal. The pair’s heartfelt embrace on the field spoke to the high-stakes nature of the contest.

With two days remaining, Sri Lanka faced a monumental task against India’s spin attack, led by the newly minted 350-wicket man Jadeja.

                                               

Relevant news