Top 10 Bowlers With The Most Wickets In Test Cricket

Test cricket is the purest and also the hardest form of cricket. It tests the players’ patience, perseverance, persistence and various other facts of the game which helps him to become a good cricketer in life.

Bowling is one of the toughest facts of the game, It is an art that not many have mastered so far. The ones who have are almost unplayable to even the best of batsmen and the ones who gave them nightmares time and again.

The current Test cricket has a number of reputed bowlers including both pacers and spinners. While Muttiah Muralitharan has been leading the wicket-taking list since eternity, Ravichandran Ashwin is the latest bowler to break into the top 10. In this article, we take a look at the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets in Test cricket.

Top 10 Bowlers With The Most Wickets In Test Cricket

Muttiah Muralitharan – 800 Wickts in 133 Matches

The former Lankan spinner leads the list with 800 Test wickets. That is the magic number as far as bowlers are concerned in Test cricket. However, even for the best of the current generation that might be too big a mountain to climb. Murali has 67 fifers and 22 10-wicket hauls to his credit which is also a record in itself. Currently, he is the spin bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Also Read: IPL 2022: 5 Players From Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Who Can Win The Man Of The Tournament Award

Shane Warne – 708 Wickets in 145 Matches

Many rate  Shane Warne as a better spinner than Muttiah Muralitharan. Many hail him as the greatest cricketer to have ever played the game. Warne lived life king size and he played the game as a king as well. Among many of his nicknames, he is also called the Spin King for the trickery he did with the ball.

Bamboozling the best of batsmen was something that Warne did the best and he will remain as one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game. He ended his career with 708 Test wickets including 37 fifers and 10 ten-wicket hauls. He died on March 4, 2022, and left behind a legacy of his own.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Also Read: Petition Demanding Knighthood For Shane Warne Gains Support After His Demise

James Anderson – 640 Wickets in 169 Matches

Anderson has aged like fine wine, He is touching 40 but he is not ready to give up on the game yet. His longevity is the most key part of his game being a pacer. He made his debut back in 2003 and nearly 20 years later is still having the hunger to compete at the highest level. He is almost unplayable at home and in a few other venues which offer pace and swing. So far in his career, he has taken 31 fifers and three ten-wicket hauls.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Anil Kumble – 619 Wickets In 132 Matches

The former Indian skipper ranks fourth in this elite list of bowlers. He is the highest wicket-taker amongst the Indian bowlers and the fourth-highest overall. He ended his career with 619 wickets including 35 fifers and eighth 10-fers. He is currently associated with Punjab Kings as the head coach of the side and will be seen in IPL 2022.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Glenn McGrath- 563 Wickets In 124 Matches

McGrath is the second pacer in this list of bowlers with the most Test wickets. The former Australian bowler was known for his immaculate line and length. He came up against the best of batsmen including Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara and got the better of them time and time again. McGrath had a decorated career spanning over 15 years in which he took 29 fifers and three 10-wicket hauls.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Stuart Broad – 537 Wickets in 152 Matches

Broad is the third pacer in this elite list of bowlers with the most Test wickets. Both Brod and Anderson are still actively playing Test cricket for England. However, both are not part of the ongoing Test series against the West Indies. Broad has so far picked 537 wickets which include 19 fifers and three 10-wicket hauls. Anderson and Broad are England’s top two wicket-takers in Test cricket.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Courtney Walsh – 519 Wickets in 132 Matches

Walsh is the fourth seamer in this list and the only West Indies bowler to feature in this list. He is also the only Windies bowler with more than 500 Test wickets. The next best is Curtley Ambrose with 405 Test wickets, Walsh’s career spanned 17 years in which he took 22 fifers, three 10-fers and played a few World Cups as well.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 440 Wickets in 86 Matches

The Test series against Sri Lanka was a memorable one for Ravichandran Ashwin as he notched up a few records to his credit. He went past Kapil Dev’s tally of 434 Test wickets to become India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket and thus he makes it to this elite list.

Ashwin became the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Test history when he dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva during Day 3 of the day-night pink-ball Test in Bengaluru. He has picked 30 fifers and seven ten-wicket hauls to his credit.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Dale Steyn – 439 Wickets in 93 Matches

Steyn is the fifth pacer in this list of most Test wickets. He bowled fast and tormented the best of the modern batsmen. He is also the only South African inside the top 10 bowlers in Test cricket. Injuries have played a part in disrupting his career. Had he been fitter, he would have played over 100 Test matches and got over 500 wickets easily. He took 26 fifers and five 10-fers.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Kapil Dev – 434 Wickets In 131 Matches

Kapil Dev held the record for being the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Kumble overtook his record in 2004 in a Test match against Bangladesh. Kumble achieved the milestone in 91 Test matches, whereas Kapil Dev had taken 434 wickets in 131 Tests. Dev took 23 fifers and two 10-fers in his celebrated Test career.

*Stats updated till 15/03/22.

Also Read: IND vs SL: Ravichandran Ashwin Overtakes Dale Steyn To Become 8th Highest Wicket Taker In Tests