Harbhajan third Indian to join 300-wicket club

Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian and 22nd cricketer in the world to claim 300 or more wickets in Test cricket on Friday when he dismissed Australian captain Ricky Ponting on the second day of the fourth and final Test here.

The Punjab offie, who is playing his 72nd Test, is behind just-retired Anil Kumble (619 from 132 Tests) and Kapil Dev (434 from 131 Tests).

He is only the fifth spinner to join the 300-wicket club after Muttiah Muralitharan (756), Shane Warne (708), Kumble and Lance Gibbs (309) and second Indian spinner after Kumble.

By claiming the wicket of Ponting, whom he has dismissed for the 10Th time so far, Harbhajan has claimed his 200th wicket on India soil.

The feisty off-spinner, who made his Test debut against Australia in Bangalore in March 1998, has also 195 ODI wickets to his kitty from 175 matches.