Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in Test (Active Cricketers)

Bowlers are the balancing act in cricket for the batters. While not as appreciated as the players with the willow, the bowlers have always been the stars for their teams, as they are the ones to win the matches by bowling out the opposition.

The epitome of a bowler’s test is Test Cricket, where they can bowl unlimited overs, which tests their abilities, stamina, and skills to cope with pressure. There are instances in cricket where bowlers have proven their worth by winning matches single-handedly. The game has seen some great bowlers since its start.

1. James Anderson (England) – 704 Wickets

Perhaps the greatest pace bowler England have produced, James Anderson has carried on in his long career, which started in 2003 against Zimbabwe. He is going to retire after the Lord’s Test against West Indies in July 2024. He is called “Swing King,” who can swing the ball both ways and has picked 32 fifers in tests. On 9th March 2024, Anderson became the first ever fast bowler and overall third bowler to pick 700 or more wickets in the game’s longest format.

2. Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 530 Wickets

Lyon has so far taken 530 wickets in 129 tests for Australia, with 24 five-wicket hauls so far and registering four ten-wicket hauls as well.

3. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 516 Wickets

Ravi Ashwin has been prolific in terms of taking the most test wickets, with 516* wickets in 100* games. The spin wizard recently became the second Indian bowler to take more than 500 test wickets. Maintaining a decent average of 23.83, Ashwin has bagged 35 fifers to date.

4. Tim Southee (New Zealand) – 380 Wickets

Tim Southee has grabbed 380 Test scalps with a bowling average of 29.6 from 100 Test matches. 15 fifers in his name.

5. Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 358 Wickets

The Aussie left-arm seamer has 358 Test wickets conceding 27.74 runs per wicket in 89 matches. He has 14 five-wicket hauls till now.

6. Trent Boult (New Zealand) – 317 Wickets

In his Test career to date, Trent Boult has played 78 matches and took 317 wickets, with an average of 27.50, conceding nearly 3.00 runs per over with a best individual figure of 6 for 30.

7. Ishant Sharma (India) – 311 Wickets

Ishant Sharma has equalled Zaheer Khan’s 311-wicket number. However, he has not been given a chance since 2021. In his Test career to date, he has played 105 matches to date and took 311 wickets, with an average of 32.4, conceding nearly 3.15 runs per over with a best individual figure of 7 for 74.

8. Ravindra Jadeja (India) – 294 Wickets

In his Test career to date, Ravindra Jadeja has played 72 matches and has picked up 294 wickets, with an average of 24.13. Ravindra Jadeja has grabbed 13 five-wicket hauls in his Test career.

9. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) – 291 Wickets

Kagiso Rabada has played 62 matches and took 291 wickets, with an average of 22.06, conceding nearly 3.37 runs per over with a best individual figure of 7 for 112.

10. Josh Hazlewood (Australia) – 273 Wickets

In his Test career to date, Josh Hazlewood has played 70 matches and took 273 wickets, with an average of 24.83, conceding nearly 2.79 runs per over with a best individual figure of 6 for 67.