Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah created history as he broke an 82-year-old record during the third Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on the fourth day. Picking his fifth wicket in the match, dismissing William Somerville for 4, Shah completed his 200-wicket milestone in the longest format, becoming the fastest bowler to do so.
The right-armer broke pre-World War record set by Australian Clarrie Grimmett in 1936 by requiring only 33 Tests to reach the landmark. Grimmett, on the other hand, had reached the figures in his 36th Test.
Earlier, India’s off-spinner R Ashwin also had a similar opportunity to create the record in 2016. But the bowler fell short by one Test, reaching the milestone in his 37th Test.
Former Australia seamer Dennis Lillee and former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis, who both completed their 200 wickets in 38 Tests, and South Africa’s Dale Steyn, who reached the figures in his 39th Test, fill up the top five slots in the list.
Yasir Shah has been in menacing form through the series taking 22 wickets in the first two Tests with 8 wickets in the first innings of the second Test. He followed it up with six wickets in the second innings to level the series for Pakistan.
In his short career, Shah has become one of the primary spin bowler for Pakistan in the format. His best figures of 8/41 came in the second Test against New Zealand in November, 2018, in which he became the first bowler after Anil Kumble, in 1999, to pick up 10 wickets in a single day of Test cricket.
