10 Feb. 2023. On the list of the top wicket-takers in Test cricket, Nathan Lyon of Australia has surpassed Ravichandran Ashwin. Lyon ranks eighth on the list with 460 wickets at an average of 31.65 in 115 Test matches. With an average of 24.23, Ashwin has 452 wickets in 89 Test matches.

One of the most popular cricket formats is test cricket. Without the bowlers, the game of cricket would be impossible to win. They are a crucial component of the contest. A side must take 20 wickets in order to win a test match, which places a lot of pressure on the bowlers. The number of wickets the bowler is able to take determines the game’s outcome to a considerable extent.

Most Test Wickets in Career: Top 10 Player List 

Here is the list of highest test wicket taker –

1. Muttiah Muralitharan

133 Games, 800 Wickets Muttiah Muralitharan is without a doubt the best and most prolific wicket-taker in test cricket. Muttiah has unquestionably proven to be a great player with his 800 wickets. He is also the ODI player with the most wickets (534). Muttiah could legitimately be referred to as the God of Bowling. In Galle in 2010, he played his final Test match against India, taking eight wickets to reach the legendary number of 800.

2. Shane Warne  

708 Wickets in 145 Matches for Shane Warne Leg spin bowling has been redefined thanks in large part to Shane Warne. The second-highest wicket taker in tests is this former Australian spin magician. With a strike rate of 57.4, Warne has played 145 matches and claimed 708 wickets. The majority of the time, Shane Warne employed his outstanding leg break variations to keep the batsmen guessing. He was the one who had the power to speak to any ball anywhere in the world. In 2007, Warne played his final test against England.

3. James Anderson

177 Games, 675 Wickets The world’s top swing bowler is James Anderson of England. Anderson, who has been a Test cricket player since 2003, is known as the “Swing King” for his ability to swing the ball both ways quickly. The third-highest wicket-taker in test cricket history, Anderson has 675 wickets in 177 games and 32 5-wicket hauls. The only fast bowler with 600 test wickets is him.

4. Anil Kumble

132 Games, 619 Wickets Anil Kumble is India’s top test wicket-taker and is now placed fourth in terms of most test wickets lost. During his more than 18 years of test cricket career, Anil Kumble claimed 619 wickets in 132 tests. Anil never used to spin the ball very much, but instead, his ball speeds were often around 100 km/h.

5. Stuart Broad

159 Games, 566 Wickets Stuart Broad, the son of former English cricketer and current match official Chris Broad, made his international cricket debut for England in 2007 by putting on an outstanding display. Broad, a tall medium pacer, has consistently performed well for England with the red ball. 159 games have Broad played in.

6. Glenn McGrath

The Australian icon has 14 years of test cricket experience (1993-2007). In 1993, Glenn faced New Zealand in his first test match. The Australian fast bowlers with the most wickets are led by Mcgrath. For his line, length, and swing, Mcgrath is renowned. In every location he has played, he has taken wickets. McGrath has taken 563 wickets in 124 test matches, surpassing the five wicket threshold 29 times. Among the top 10 highest wicket-takers, he has the highest bowling average (21.6). 

7. Courtney Walsh

Courtney Walsh is the only Caribbean player on the list. He is one of the best fast bowlers of all time and especially of the 19th century. Walsh played his first test match in 1984 against Australia and ended his career as the highest wicket-taker of the West Indies with 519 wickets in 132 matches.  He was also the highest wicket-taker among pacers in test cricket at the end of his career. He is the first bowler to take 500 wickets in the history of test cricket. 

8. Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon, the finest off-spinner to ever represent Australia, with the ninth-most wickets in test history. Lyon has 460 victories to his name after playing 116 games in 116 appearances for Australia in the longest format. In his red ball career, the spin maestro has amassed 21 five-wicket hauls and 3 ten-fers.

9. Ravichandran Ashwin

With 452 wickets in 89 games, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is ninth in terms of most test wickets taken. The expert spinner recently overtook Kapil Dev to move into second place among Indian wicket-takers. With a respectable average of 24.23, Ashwin collected 30 field goals.

10. Dale Steyn

The 10-highest wicket-taker overall and the lone South African bowler on this list is Dale Steyn. The legendary African fast bowler is arguably the greatest of this decade. In 93 games throughout the course of his 15-year test career, he has 439 wickets (2004-2019). His cricket career has been littered with mishaps. He did, however, bowl as hard as he could until the end of his Test career. SA is the only bowler in history to have five wickets against every country that participates in test cricket. He has taken the most wickets for South Africa in Test cricket and has occupied the top spot in the test rankings for six years running (2008-2014).

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