Top 5 Indian bowlers with most test wickets in fourth innings

Among Indian pacers, Ishant Sharma has taken the most test wickets in the fourth innings.

Test cricket is just like its name — a real test of the skillset and stamina of the players across multiple days. A result in test cricket is achieved when at least one team is bowled out twice, regardless of how many runs the batters pile up.

The role of a bowler is crucial in test cricket. Some bowlers have created a great legacy while bowling in the last innings of a test match when batting is generally the toughest.

In this blog, we will discuss about the most successful Indian bowlers in the fourth innings of a test match. The below list is dominated by Indian spinners, as expected. Only five Indian bowlers have taken more than 50 wickets in the fourth innings in test cricket.

List of the top 5 Indian bowlers with the most test wickets in the fourth innings:

5. Ishant Sharma – 54

Ishant Sharma is the first and only Indian pacer (counting Kapil Dev as an all-rounder) to play over 100 tests. He played test cricket between 2007 and 2021 and garnered a reputation for bowling long spells. He has joint-fifth most test wickets (311) for India.

He bowled in the fourth innings in test cricket 39 times, taking 54 wickets. His career-best figures of 7/74, which came at Lord’s against England in 2014, also came in the fourth innings.

4. Ravindra Jadeja – 54

Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been one of India’s biggest match-winners in the last 11 years. His contribution with both bat and ball at home and also away has been immense.

He is climbing up the ladder of the leading Indian wicket-takers in tests. He has snapped a total of 306 wickets. Out of which, 54 have come in the fourth innings in 30 outings. This includes two five-wicket hauls.

3. Bishan Singh Bedi – 60

The legendary Bishan Singh Bedi had a phenomenal record while cleaning up the opposition in the last innings of a test match. In the fourth innings, he took 60 wickets in 23 innings at an average of 14.46, which is the best in history among the bowlers with more than 30 wickets.

He claimed five five-wicket hauls in the fourth innings. He was among the best of this time. Bedi retired with 266 wickets in 67 tests.

2. Anil Kumble – 94

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble retired with the most international wickets for his country; he is the leading Indian wicket-taker in both ODIs and tests.

He took 619 wickets in 132 tests with 35 five-wicket hauls. He took 94 wickets in the 35 times he bowled in the fourth innings of a test, claiming five five-fors and a best of 10/74 against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999.

1. Ravichandran Ashwin – 99

Ravichandran Ashwin is the modern-day great in test cricket and one of India’s greatest match-winners in the longest format.

Ashwin is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in tests and has a sensational record in the fourth innings as well. He has taken the most test wickets for India in the fourth innings in test cricket.

Ashwin has bowled 35 times in the fourth innings, taking 99 wickets at an average of 19.06 with seven five-wicket hauls.

(All stats updated till 19th October, 2024)

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