Indian Cricket Records — Test Wickets How many Test wickets had Kapil Dev taken at the time of his retirement from Test cricket?

Introduction / Context:
Kapil Dev is one of India's greatest all-rounders. His retirement wicket tally is a classic GK figure, frequently compared historically with Courtney Walsh, Shane Warne, and Muttiah Muralitharan as wicket records progressed.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We need the exact Test wickets tally at retirement.
• Values around the mid-400s are provided; only one is historically accurate.

Concept / Approach:
Use landmark memory aid: Kapil Dev surpassed Richard Hadlee's 431 to become the leading wicket-taker and retired with a distinctive number immediately recognizable in cricket trivia.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Contemporary reports and later retrospectives uniformly list Kapil Dev's career Test wickets as 434.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 450: Exceeds his career total at retirement.
• 430 and 435: Near-miss distractors; incorrect by record.
• None of the above: Invalid because 434 is correct and listed.

Common Pitfalls:
Mixing up the surpassed number (Hadlee's 431) with Kapil's own final tally, or misremembering a rounded figure.

Final Answer:
434