He made his debut in first-class cricket playing for his state, Haryana. He joined the Indian national team for a 1978–79 Test series against Pakistan. Mr. Dev was India’s first genuine fast bowler, and he went on to lead the country’s bowling attack for the next two decades. He ended his Test career with a record 434 wickets in 131 Test matches (a record that was broken in 2000 by Jamaica’s Courtney Walsh), including 23 five-wicket matches. In one-day internationals, he took 253 wickets over 225 games.

Mr. Dev received two of India’s highest civilian honours: the Padma Shri (1982) and the Padma Bhushan (1991). In 2002 he was named the Indian Cricketer of the Century, and he was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame in 2010.