Visakhapatnam, Oct 5 (IANS): Ace Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is just one wicket away from equalling legendary Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan's record in Test cricket.

Ashwin, who picked up seven wickets in the first innings of the ongoing Test against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here, is just one wicket short of equaling Muralitharan's world record of being the fastest to 350 Test wickets.

The 33-year-old has so far picked 349 wickets, including 26 five-wicket hauls, in 66 Test matches. Muralitharan, who holds the record for being the leading wicket-taker in the longest format of the game with 800 scalps to his name, had also reached the 350-wicket milestone in his 66th Test match against Bangladesh in 2001.

Former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble had taken 77 Tests to take 350 wickets.

Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 and since then has been an integral part of the Indian set-up, especially in red-ball cricket.

However, he was not included in the two-match series in the West Indies in which India made a clean sweep to register their first points in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.