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On This Day in 1994: In the third Test of the bilateral series against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad, Kapil Dev dismissed Hashan Tillakaratne to surpass the New Zealand great, Sir Richard Hadlee.
Kapil Dev was voted India’s Cricketer of the Century. (Image: ICC/X, formerly Twitter)
On This Day In 1994: Over 31 years ago today, Kapil Dev etched his name into the sport’s folklore by securing a landmark milestone in Test cricket. The 1983 World Cup winner surpassed Sir Richard Hadlee’s all-time tally of 431 Test wickets on February 8, 1994. The historic moment occurred during Sri Lanka’s Tour of India that year.
In the third Test of the bilateral series in Ahmedabad, Kapil Dev dismissed Hashan Tillakaratne to surpass the New Zealand great.
The momentous occasion served as a testament to the India pacer’s massive talent, unwavering dedication and indomitable spirit. The Sri Lankan opener’s scalp went on to be Kapil Dev’s only wicket in the game.
The wicket itself was a classic Kapil Dev dismissal. Hashan Tillakaratne was left undone by a ball that moved away from him a little late. It tricked the experienced Sri Lanka opener from edging the ball straight into the hands of Sanjay Manjrekar, who was in slips.
Tillakaratne had to leave the crease after adding a mere five runs for Sri Lanka. While Kapil Dev didn’t exactly steal the spotlight in Motera, his wicket helped the Mohammad Azharuddin-led side dismiss their Asian counterparts at 119 runs. The Indian bowling duo of Venkatapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan did the most damage, combining for eight wickets.
India’s first innings was led by a massive century from Mohammad Azharuddin. The skipper smashed 152 runs to help India put up a score of 358. Venkapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan once again stepped up for the hosts at the Gujarat Stadium to dismiss nine Sri Lanka batters. Kapil Dev remained wicketless in the second bowling display as India won by an innings and 17 runs.
Kapil Dev’s journey to the record-breaking 432nd wicket was filled with relentless hard work and passion. The legendary fast-bowler burst into the scene in 1978. In no time, Kapil Dev established himself as a dependable fast bowler which was a rarity in the Indian squad at the time. His ability to swing the ball both ways, coupled with deceptive pace made him a nightmare for even the best batters in that era.
Had Kapil Dev competed in any other period, not when Imran Kham, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee were contemporaries, he would have been the undisputed all-round star in world cricket. While Kapil Dev faced stiff competition from his contemporaries, it didn’t stop him from being voted India’s Cricketer of the Century, ahead of legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.
- Location :
Ahmadabad, India, India
