Galle, Aug 2026 : Ravindra Jadeja added another remarkable achievement to his illustrious Test career on Monday, becoming the first Indian left-arm bowler to claim 350 wickets in the longest format during the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.
Jadeja reached the landmark in the third session on Day 3 when he dismissed Sri Lankan bowling all-rounder Keshara Nuwantha. The milestone wicket came after Sri Lanka had staged a spirited fightback following a difficult start to their first innings.
Nuwantha attempted to attack Jadeja by hitting a delivery towards the covers but failed to make clean contact. The ball struck the thigh of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was positioned at silly point while trying to evade it, before ricocheting towards Shubman Gill at cover. Gill completed the catch, giving Jadeja his 350th Test wicket.
With the dismissal, Jadeja moved into an exclusive group of Indian bowlers. He became the fifth Indian overall to take 350 or more Test wickets, joining Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh.
Kumble remains India’s leading wicket-taker in Tests with 619 wickets, followed by Ashwin with 537, Kapil Dev with 434 and Harbhajan with 417. Former India pace bowler Zaheer Khan, with 311 wickets, is now the second-highest Indian left-arm bowler on the list.
Jadeja’s achievement also places him among the world’s most successful left-arm spinners. He is only the third left-arm spinner to reach 350 Test wickets, joining Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, who finished with 433 wickets, and New Zealand great Daniel Vettori, who claimed 362.
The 37-year-old all-rounder achieved another elite milestone alongside his bowling feat. Jadeja has now become only the fourth player in Test history to score more than 4,000 runs and take at least 350 wickets.
He joins an illustrious list featuring Kapil Dev, who scored 5,248 runs and took 434 wickets, England’s Ian Botham, who amassed 5,200 runs and claimed 383 wickets, and Vettori, who scored 4,531 runs while taking 362 wickets.
Jadeja’s milestone came at a crucial stage of the Test after Sri Lanka had threatened to make a remarkable recovery. The hosts had been reduced to 90/5 before Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha produced a determined counter-attack.
Dickwella, returning to Test cricket after a three-year absence, scored a fighting 80, while Dinusha made an impressive 89. The pair put together a crucial 146-run partnership for the sixth wicket, taking Sri Lanka from deep trouble to 236/5.
India eventually broke the partnership when Prasidh Krishna dismissed the experienced Dickwella. Jadeja then struck shortly afterwards, removing Nuwantha to complete his historic 350-wicket milestone.
The breakthrough helped India regain control after Sri Lanka had dominated the latter part of the opening session and the entire second session.
India had earlier posted a formidable 462 in their first innings, with Devdutt Padikkal leading the scoring with an outstanding 167. KL Rahul contributed 82, while Dhruv Jurel added a valuable 51.
Jadeja’s latest achievement further underlines his extraordinary value as an all-rounder and his consistency across a Test career that has now placed him among India’s greatest players in the format. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball has made him one of the most valuable members of India’s Test side, while his 350-wicket landmark adds another major chapter to his already decorated career.
