Most Five-Wicket Hauls By Fast Bowlers In Test Cricket 

Fast bowlers, unarguably, play a massive role for their teams in Test Cricket. It’s not an unknown fact that to win a Test, you gotta have the ability to pick all 20 wickets in the match. The teams who have had great bowlers tend to have been more successful in the longest format of the game.

Over the years, we have seen some special bowlers doing wonders in Test Cricket. They have gone onto take a plethora of wickets. Picking a five-wicket haul is a special feat for any bowler. It’s, in fact, similar to scoring a century by a batsman. Test Cricket, over the years, have seen a lot of bowlers picking numerous five-wicket hauls.

In the ongoing Test between India and England, James Anderson took his 31st five-wicket haul in the Test series after getting five Indian players out in the first innings. On that note, we take a look at most fifers by pace bowlers in Test Cricket:

Most five-wicket hauls by fast bowlers in Test Cricket

Wasim Akram: 25

Former Pakistan cricketer, Wasim Akram is counted amongst the greatest fast bowlers in the history of Cricket. His ability to swing the ball both ways helped him in becoming a phenomenon in world cricket. To date, he holds the record for picking the most number of wickets in List-A Cricket with 88 wickets to his name.

He made his debut in Test Cricket on 25th January 1985 against New Zealand. He went onto pick 414 wickets in 104 Tests, making him the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in Test Cricket.

Wasim Akram currently has the fifth-most number of five-wicket hauls in his Test Cricket Career. He took 25 five-wicket hauls in his Test Cricket career.

Dale Steyn: 26

Watching Dale Steyn running into the batsman and hitting the deck at over 140 clicks was once a sight to behold. He was one intimidating figure, who made the opposition life tougher with his pace and accurate lengths. Steyn made his debut in 2004 and impressed one and all with his raw pace.

He went onto become one of the most successful fast bowlers for South Africa in its cricketing history. In his Test Cricket, Dale Steyn picked 439 wickets in 93 matches at an average of 22.95.

He currently has the fifth-most number of five-wicket hauls in Test Cricket with 26 to his name. In ODIs, he managed to pick 196 wickets in 125 games, including three five-wicket hauls.

Ian Botham: 27

He made his Test debut on 28th July 1977 against Australia. He featured in 102 Tests for England and scored 5200 at an average of 33.54. He has 14 hundreds and 22 half-centuries to his name in Test Cricket. From the period between 1986 and 198, he held the world record for the most Test wickets until overtaken by fellow all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee.

Botham has picked 383 wickets, including 27 five-wicket hauls in Test Cricket- the fourth-most number of five-wicket hauls in Test Cricket.

Glenn Mcgrath: 29

Very few bowlers in World Cricket have been as accurate as Glenn Mcgrath. The former Australia bowler was known for his swing and accurate line and lengths. He was Australia’s one of the biggest weapons during his playing days. He helped Australia reach great heights from the mid-1990s to the late-2000s with his exceptional bowling performances. He is currently the second most successful fast bowler in world cricket behind James Anderson.

He made his Test debut on 12th November 1993 against New Zealand and played his last Test match on 2nd January 2007 against England. In 124 Tests, he picked 563 wickets at an average of 21.64. He took 29 five-wicket hauls in his Test Cricket career, making him sit third in the elite list of most number of five-wicket hauls.

James Anderson: 31

James Anderson is the only active player on the current list. A master of swing bowling, James Anderson has been making England proud for years now. He has been one of the most consistent performers in England Test Cricket and has gone on to become one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket.

In June 2021 he made his 162nd appearance for England in Test cricket, becoming England’s most capped player. He recently picked his 31 five-wicket hauls after claiming India’s five wickets in the first innings of the second Test. In 164 Tests, he has 621 wickets to his name at an average of 26.60. He currently has the third-most number of wickets in Test cricket only behind Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Richard Hadlee: 36

One of the most prominent members of the Hadlee cricket-playing family, Richard Hadlee is regarded as one of the great fast bowlers of all time. Richard is the son of Walter Hadlee and the brother of Dayle Hadlee and Barry Hadlee.

For those of you who don’t know, Richard Hadlee was the first bowler to pick 400 Test wickets. He played 86 Tests for New Zealand and finished with 431 wickets at an average of 22.29.

Besides, he was also a brilliant batsman, who amassed more than 3000 runs at an average of close to 30. He scored 2 centuries and 15 half-centuries in his Test Cricket career.

Richard Hadlee has the most number of five-wicket hauls in Test Cricket with 36 to his name.