Bowlers play a pivotal role in Test cricket, often determining the outcome of a match through their ability to take 20 wickets and bowl out the opposition twice. Unlike shorter formats of the game where restricting runs is critical, Test cricket emphasizes dismissals and the ability to bowl for sustained periods. As far as Indian bowlers, we have seen quite a few legendary bowlers in the country over the years. They have won so many games and took a lot of wickets for the team. Today, we will see the list of Indian bowlers who have taken more than 300+ wickets in test cricket. So let’s start.
List of Indian bowlers with more than 300+ tickets in test cricket
(1) Ravichandran Ashwin
The off-spinner from Tamil Nadu is one of the Indian bowlers who has taken 300+ wickets in test cricket. In test cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin is not only the fastest bowler from India but also the fastest bowler in world cricket to reach 300 wickets. It took him only 54 matches to reach 300 test wickets, going past Australia’s Dennis Lillee. In a November 2017 encounter in Nagpur against Sri Lanka, the off-spinner accomplished this feat.
R Ashwin made his test debut on November 06 against West Indies (WI). Since then, he has produced so many match-winning spells for Team India and won series’ for them. Ashwin is known for his cricketing brain and is very clever in terms of setting up a batter. Overall, he has played 100 tests and took 516 wickets at an average of 23.75 and a strike rate of 50.71.
(2) Anil Kumble
One of the other Indian bowlers and a spinner in this list. A leg spinner has been the legend of Indian cricket and played a massive role in the growth of the team. Especially outside Asia and at home, he has won games with his bowling skills. In home tests, he becomes more lethal for the opposition batters and hard to get away from.
Anil Kumble is India’s leading wicket-taker in both, the tests and ODIs. His accomplishments and statistics reflect the tremendous legacy he has left behind. He is the only bowler who has taken 10 wickets in a test inning and with 600+ test wickets.
Kumble is the 2nd fastest Indian bowler to reach 300 wickets in test cricket. It took him only 66 matches to reach 300 wickets in tests. In December 2001, Kumble accomplished this feat in Bengaluru during a test match against England.
Overall, he has taken 619 wickets in 132 matches in test cricket.
(3) Harbhajan Singh
Known as a Turbinator, he is one of the another Indian bowlers in this list. Another spinner and 2nd off-spinner after Ashwin to feature in this list. One of India’s greatest spinners has left an indelible mark on world cricket with his skill, passion, and consistency. Known as the “Turbanator” for his ability to bamboozle batsmen with his sharp off-spin, Harbhajan’s career is filled with remarkable achievements and unforgettable moments that showcase his importance to Indian cricket.
He is the 3rd fastest Indian to reach 300 wickets. The off-spinner achieved this feat against Australia in Nagpur in November 2008. It was his 72nd test match in which he reached the milestone. Throughout his illustrious career, Harbhajan Singh appeared in 103 test matches and claimed 417 wickets.
(4) Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is the first Indian captain to win a World Cup. He is one of the Indian bowlers who features in this list as well. His all-round ability made him a valuable asset to the team. Playing in 131 tests, Kapil took 434 wickets at a 29.64 average.
The right-arm medium pacer took 83 games to reach 300 wickets in test cricket. It was a game against Sri Lanka at Cuttack in October 1978. At Faisalabad in October 1978, Kapil played his first test match against Pakistan.
(5) Zaheer Khan
The only left-arm fast bowlers in this list of Indian bowlers. Zaheer Khan has played a massive role in leading the Indian pace-battery over the years. A few injuries during his career cuts short his career. He did make a comeback in the team during 2013-14, but couldn’t last long after that. Still, he has played 92 tests and took 311 wickets.
He took 89 matches to reach the 300 test wickets milestone. The match was against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2013.
(6) Ishant Sharma
One of the last Indian bowlers in this list, Ishant Sharma’s contribution to Indian cricket can’t be overlooked. Everyone remembers that famous spell of young Ishant against Ricky Ponting at the beginning of his career. Also, that short-ball barrage against England at The Lord’s in 2014 is still in the mind of the fans.
Overall, he played 105 tests and took 311 wickets with an average of 32.41 and a strike rate of 61.61. He took his 300th test wicket against England in his 98th game.
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Conclusion
So these are the 6 Indian bowlers who took 300+ test wickets. The Indian cricket can see the new bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, M Siraj, etc who can reach this milestone as well. Let’s see if they can feature in this list in the future or not. It will be a good thing for Indian cricket if they come into this elite list of Indian bowlers.
FAQs:-
(1) How many Indian bowlers are there who took 200+ test wickets?
There are a total of 11 Indian bowlers with 200+ test wickets. Other than the above 6 that we discussed, Ravindra Jadeja, BS Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar, J Srinath, and Mohammad Shami are the other 5 bowlers with 200+ wickets in tests.
(2) Which bowler has the best strike rate among the 11 Indian bowlers with 200+ test wickets?
Mohammad Shami has the best strike rate (50.28) among the 11 bowlers.
(3) Which bowler has the most fifers in test cricket for India?
R Ashwin has the most test fifers for India. He has 36 5-fers in tests. Anil Kumble is just behind him with 35 5-fers.
