Melbourne, Dec 30 (IANS): Ravichandran Ashwin has surpassed Sri Lanka spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan's record of most wickets against left-handed batsmen in Test cricket. Ashwin ended the Australian innings on the fourth day of the second Test with the wicket of Josh Hazlewood, who became the 192nd left-hander to fall to the Indian spinner.

With 191 wickets, Muralitharan was the most successful bowler against left-handers before the Boxing Day Test, followed by England's veteran fast bowler James Anderson (186), Australia legends Glenn McGrath (172) and Shane Warne (172) and former India captain Anil Kumble (167).

Ashwin was integral to India's eight-wicket win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), returning with figures of 3/35 an 2/28 in the two innings he bowled in. He has notably been important in keeping the dangerous Steve Smith silent thus far in the series, dismissing the top ranked Test batsman for just one run in the first innings of the first Test and a duck in the first innings at the MCG. Smith was bowled for eight runs by Jasprit Bumrah in the second innings.