Cricket has seen many great bowlers, but only a few have left a lasting impact. When it comes to Test cricket, taking wickets consistently is no easy feat. The following list highlights the top 10 highest wicket-takers in Test history. Let’s have a look at these legends who have dominated with the ball.
List of Highest Wicket Taker Ballers In Test Cricket
1. Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka)
This Sri Lankan cricketer is now an international cricket analyst. He topped the list on wicket taking with 800 wickets in his career. He played in Sri Lanka between 1992 and 2010. His bowling talent and immense accuracy earned him great reviews. His career best bowling performance is 9 wickets for 51 runs, which makes him a danger for the batsmen across the world.
2. Shane Warne (Australia)
Shane Warne, an Australian legend bowler, performed between 1992 and 2007 taking 708 wickets. He could bowl leg-spin quite well and had the capability to decide the rate of play. Born in Melbourne, Warne has done perfect in his bowling in an innings by taking 8 wickets for 71 runs.
3. James Anderson (England)
James Anderson is still bowling, and he has 704 wickets to his name. In 2003 Anderson started being characterized by the swing and seam movement. His best bowling figure is 7/42, he still plays for England.
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4. Anil Kumble (India)
Anil Kumble has taken the most Test wickets for India, with 619. He played his cricket from 1990 to 2008 and was known for the bowling style and the wickets he took irrespective of the wicket’s conditions. His bowling best of 10 wickets in an innings is one of the few other records in Test cricket.
5. Stuart Broad (England)
Stuart Broad retired in 2023, and he has taken 604 wickets in his international career. Known for his tall figure and bounce, Broad tends to put pressure on the top order batsmen. His best of 8/15 is still a record that is recorded as one of the most destructive spells in Test cricket.
6. Glenn McGrath (Australia)
Glenn McGrath was one bowler who would never diverge from line and length. In a span of 1993 and 2007 he took a total 563 wickets. Especially thanks to the fact that McGrath was pumping the balls consistently in the right areas of the pitch it was very hard to dismiss him. His career-best bowling analysis is 8/24, which proves his worth.
7. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon has aggregated 530 wickets thus far and continues to play Test cricket. He started his career from 2011 and is very steady and can play in any kind of situation. His best bowling is 8/50.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
Ravichandran Ashwin is another Indian players who have proved themselves in test cricket. Since 2011 Ashwin has snapped up 527 wickets and has been a dangerous bowler, especially on pitches that assist spinners back home. His best figure is 7/59.
9. Courtney Walsh (West Indies)
Courtney Walsh was a fast bowler of the West Indies cricket team. He bowled continuously from 1984 to 2001 and right in his prime he took 519 wickets, his strength, or ability to be ‘persistent’ was his endurance and speed. His best bowling figure is 7/37.
10. Dale Steyn (South Africa)
The man with the most wickets for South Africa is Dale Steyn, who has 439 wickets between 2004 and 2019. Steyn’s natural pace and swing put him among a few of the most deadly bowlers. His best performance is 7/51, and he was always an aggressive player, which made him a match-winner.
These bowlers have set standards that are very hard to be emulated. These have been players who have contributed to the history of Test cricket, and such histories are passed on to the next generations.