Top 5 non-retired Indian bowlers with most wickets in test cricket

Anil Kumble leads the chart of most wickets by Indian bowlers in the longest format of the game.

From Ravichandran Ashwin to Ravindra Jadeja, India has produced several match-winning bowlers in recent years. India under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri showed great improvement in the bowling department and they also contributed immensely to India’s dominating run in the test cricket in the last 7-8 years. From Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah to Ashwin and Jadeja they all have been amongst the wickets. 

Legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble is currently India’s leading wicket-taker in test cricket with 619 scalps in 132 matches. Kumble is the 4th leading wicket-taker in test cricket after Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708), and James Anderson (690). Only four Indian bowlers have crossed 400 wickets in test cricket. Let’s have a look at the current leading wicket-taker for India in this format. 

5. Umesh Yadav – 170 wickets:

Right-arm pacer Umesh Yadav has picked 170 wickets in 57 test matches and is the fifth leading wicket-taker for India amongst the non-retired in this format. Umesh Yadav has played most of his test cricket in India and played 56% of the games in home soil. Umesh Yadav’s ability to reverse swing is used immensely against every single opposition. Yadav has picked up 101 wickets in 32 test matches played in tough Indian home conditions.

4. Mohammed Shami – 229 wickets:

Right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami has been a consistent performer for India across formats. He had recently taken India to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final last month and finished the tournament with 24 wickets in 7 games. Shami’s brilliant seam bowling has put him among the leading wicket-takers in test cricket as well. Shami has so far picked up 229 wickets in 64 test matches at an outstanding average of 27.71.

3. Ravindra Jadeja – 275 wickets:

Ravichandran Ashwin’s counterpart in whites, Ravindra Jadeja is also among the leading wicket-takers for India. Jadeja has so far picked up 275 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja has accompanied Ashwin magnificently in tests. Jadeja’s average has been outstanding as he takes a wicket per 24 runs in the longest format of the game. Jadeja is just 25 wickets away to become seventh Indian bowler to pick 300 wickets in the format.

2. Ishant Sharma – 311 wickets:

Ishant Sharma is currently away from the action as Indian team management is opting for young pace bowlers in tests. Ishant Sharma started magnificently in his test career and made one of the most fierce international batters Ricky Ponting struggle in Australian conditions. Ishant Sharma was a regular for India in test cricket and played 105 test matches picking up 311 wickets at an average of 32.40. He is yet to retire from the game.

1. Ravichandran Ashwin – 489 wickets:

Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is highest wicket-taker for India amongst the non-retired bowlers and is just 11 wickets away from breaching the 500-mark and becoming only the second India bowler to pick up more than 500 test wickets in test cricket. Ashwin is India’s one of the biggest match-winners in the last 12 years and has picked up 489 wickets in 94 test matches. He has so far picked 5-fors 34 times in the format.

(All stats updated till 22nd December, 2023)

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.