Top 5 Indian fast bowlers with most five-wicket hauls in test cricket

Four Indian fast bowlers have taken more than 10 five-wicket hauls in test cricket.

Indian cricket is known to produce several of the greatest batsmen over different generations. The country has been home to some of the all-time greats – Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. However, what is often ignored are the quality bowlers who have played test cricket for India.

While playing as a second fiddle to spinners in the home conditions, the Indian fast bowlers have scripted many memorable wins abroad. What makes their statistics even more impressive is the amount of effort they put into getting assistance on the dry Indian wickets.

In this article, we will take a look at the five Indian fast bowlers who have taken the most five-wicket hauls in test cricket.

Top five Indian fast bowlers with most five-wicket hauls in test cricket:

5. Javagal Srinath – 10

Javagal Srinath was India’s leading pacer in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Making his test debut in 1991 against Australia at the Gabba, Srinath finished his career with 10 five-wicket hauls in test cricket.

Srinath’s test career saw him claim 236 wickets in 67 matches at an average of 30.5. His best performance came against Pakistan in 1999 in Kolkata, where he dismantled the Pakistani batting lineup with figures of 8/86.

4. Ishant Sharma – 11

Ishant Sharma has taken the joint second-most test wickets among pacers for India. The tall Delhi speedster is tied with Zaheer Khan with 311 wickets in 105 tests.

Making his test debut in 2007, Sharma took 11 five-wicket hauls in his test career. He is also credited with spearheading India’s fast bowling during the tough transition period in the 2010s.

Ishant’s last test for India came in 2021 against New Zealand in Kanpur.

3. Zaheer Khan – 11

Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan took 11 five-wicket hauls in test cricket. Known for swinging the new ball, Zaheer was equally skilled at the art of reverse swinging the old ball.

Zaheer took 311 wickets in 92 games with an average of 32.94 in his test career. His best bowling figures came in 2010 in Dhaka against Bangladesh, when he picked up 7/87 in the second innings.

2. Jasprit Bumrah – 15

Jasprit Bumrah stands as arguably the best fast bowler of his generation. Bumrah has claimed 15 fifers in his test career so far.

He also holds the distinction of having the best bowling average among bowlers with 200 or more test wickets, with his impressive figure of 19.49.

Bumrah’s best bowling figures are 6/27, which he registered against West Indies in 2019 in Kingston.

1. Kapil Dev – 23

It is impossible to ignore Kapil Dev while talking about the Indian cricket history. The former Indian captain tops this elite list with an impressive 23 five-wicket hauls in test cricket.

Kapil finished his test career in 1994 with 434 wickets in 131 games at an average of 29.64. He also played a crucial role for India in the batting department, scoring 5,248 runs during his test career.

His best bowling figures of 9/83 came against West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983.

(All stats are updated till 22nd June, 2025)

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