India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh became the 11th bowler in history to capture 400 Test wickets in the rain-hit third Test against West Indies on Thursday. Harbhajan, playing in his 96th Test, bowled Carlton Baugh for 60 about an hour and 20 minutes after lunch on the rain-affected second day at Windsor Park to achieve the milestone.
Harbhajan has not been his penetrative-best throughout the three-Test series in the Caribbean, and seemed to look to the heavens in relief, when he captured the wicket, which brought to an end a counter-attack innings from Baugh that ushered West Indies past the 200-run mark.
He received a standing ovation from teammates in the players’ viewing area in the Billy Doctrove Pavilion, and pats of approval from teammates on the field. Only former captains Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434) have taken more wickets for India than Harbhajan.
He is also the fourth spin bowler to take 400 wickets, following in the footsteps of fellow off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, whose 800 scalps are the most in Tests, Australia’s Shane Warne (708) and Kumble.
Harbhajan takes 400th Test wicket
