New Delhi, February 7: February 8 holds a significant place in cricket history. On this day in 1994, Kapil Dev, one of India’s greatest cricketers, achieved a remarkable milestone by claiming his 432nd Test wicket.
In a match held at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Sri Lankan team batted first. Kapil Dev needed just one wicket to set a new record. He dismissed Hasan Tilakaratne, caught by Sanjay Manjrekar at short leg. With this wicket, Kapil broke Richard Hadlee’s world record of 431 wickets.
As soon as Kapil Dev surpassed Hadlee’s record, fans in the stadium erupted in applause, standing to celebrate. Balloons marked the occasion, floating into the air. Meanwhile, Doordarshan paused the broadcast to play a song, celebrating Kapil’s achievement. The crowd continued to cheer for nearly a minute.
India won the match by an innings and 17 runs. The Sri Lankan team was bowled out for just 119 runs in their first innings, with Pramodya Wickramasinghe scoring the highest at 22 runs. Venkatesh Prasad took 5 wickets for 38 runs, while Rajesh Chauhan claimed 3 wickets for just 8 runs.
In response, India scored 358 runs in their first innings, establishing a lead of 239 runs. Mohammad Azharuddin starred with 152 runs, including 17 boundaries, while Vinod Kambli contributed 57 runs. Muttiah Muralitharan and Aravinda de Silva each took 3 wickets for Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan team struggled in their second innings, folding for just 222 runs. Roshan Mahanama was the top scorer with 63 runs, while Hasan Tilakaratne added 40 runs. Venkatesh Prasad excelled again, taking 6 wickets for 87 runs, with Rajesh Chauhan claiming 3 more.
Kapil Dev, who led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup, finished his career with 253 wickets in 225 ODIs and 434 wickets in 131 Test matches. He also amassed over 9,000 runs internationally.
For his outstanding contributions to cricket, Kapil Dev received the Arjuna Award in 1979-80, the Padma Shri in 1982, and the Padma Bhushan in 1991.