List of Players With Most Wickets in Test Cricket

Test cricket is the traditional playing format of the beloved sport and continues to attract fans even today. A typical test match consists of two innings for each team and lasts up to five days. Test matches are slower and quite uneventful for the majority of fans, especially the younger ones. However, it’s how cricket was originally played, and retains the classic rules of the “gentleman’s game.”

The nature of test games is vastly different than One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20. It’s played with the red ball and prioritises high-level playing over pure entertainment. You’ll never see slip fielding in T20 games, but it’s a necessity in test matches as wickets are the main focus of the bowling side.

The field placement and pitches also favour the bowlers, and we see 8, 9 and 10-wicket hauls in single innings. Today, we cover the list of players with the most wickets in test cricket. Muthiah Muralidaran, Shane Warne and James Anderson are the top 3 highest-wicket takers in test cricket.

Most Wickets in Test Cricket

1 Muthiah Muralidaran

Muthiah Muralidaran is a name that used to strike fear into batsmen’s hearts back in the day. The Sri Lankan off-spinner is the top wicket-taker in test cricket. Muralidaran has amassed 800 wickets over two decades of playing and 230 innings. His best figures of 9/51 are the second best in the test, and he holds a net average of 22.72 and an economy of 2.47. Muralidaran is the leading wicket-taker in ODI as well.

2 Shane Warne

Australia’s Shane Warne is considered the greatest cricket bowler of all time and is often compared with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Don Bradman. He played right-arm leg spin and revolutionised the bowling style during his career. Warne also bowled the Ball of the Century in 1993. He is the second most successful wicket-taker in test cricket but is often regarded as the best bowler across all cricket formats.

3 James Anderson

England’s James Anderson is a veteran test bowler and is a master of swing. He’s considered one of the greatest swing bowlers in cricket. Anderson has amassed 704 wickets over 350 innings. He has been playing since 2003 and is ranked the top test bowler as of 2024. He is the only fast bowler to take 600 or more wickets and has played the second most test matches after Sachin Tendulkar.

PlayerSpanWktsMatInnsBallsOversMdns
M Muralidaran (ICC/SL)1992-2010800133230440397339.51794
SK Warne (AUS)1992-2007708145273407056784.11761
JM Anderson (ENG)2003-2024704188350400376672.51730
A Kumble (IND)1990-2008619132236408506808.21576
SCJ Broad (ENG)2007-2023604167309336985616.21304
GD McGrath (AUS)1993-2007563124243292484874.41470
R Ashwin (IND)2011-2024530104*196267304455898
NM Lyon (AUS)2011-2024530129242327615460.11044
CA Walsh (WI)1984-2001519132242300195003.11144
DW Steyn (SA)2004-201943993171186083101.2660
N Kapil Dev (IND)1978-1994434131227277404623.21060
HMRKB Herath (SL)1999-201843393170259934332.1814
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ)1973-19904318615021918809
SM Pollock (SA)1995-2008421108202243534058.51222
Harbhajan Singh (IND)1998-2015417103190285804763.2871
Wasim Akram (PAK)1985-2002414104181226273771.1871
CEL Ambrose (WI)1988-200040598179221033683.51001
M Ntini (SA)1998-2009390101190208343472.2759
TG Southee (NZ)2008-2024384104*195230343839881
IT Botham (ENG)1977-199238310216821815788
MD Marshall (WI)1978-199137681151175842930.4614
Waqar Younis (PAK)1989-200337387154162242704516
Imran Khan (PAK)1971-19923628814219458727
DL Vettori (ICC/NZ)1997-2014362113187288144802.21197
MA Starc (AUS)2011-202435889170174172902.5559
DK Lillee (AUS)1971-19843557013218467652
WPUJC Vaas (SL)1994-2009355111194234383906.2895
AA Donald (SA)1992-200233072129155192586.3661
RGD Willis (ENG)1971-19843259016517357554
TA Boult (NZ)2011-202231778149174172902.5656
MG Johnson (AUS)2007-201531373140160012666.5514
I Sharma (IND)2007-2021311105188191603193.2640
Z Khan (IND)2000-201431192165187853130.5624
B Lee (AUS)1999-200831076150165312755.1547
M Morkel (SA)2006-201830986160164982749.4605
LR Gibbs (WI)1958-197630979148271151313
K Rabada (SA)2015-202430865118119611993.3402
FS Trueman (ENG)1952-19653076712715178522
RA Jadeja (IND)2012-202430676*143176842947.2714
DL Underwood (ENG)1966-198229786151218621239
JH Kallis (ICC/SA)1995-2013292166272202323372848
CJ McDermott (AUS)1984-199629171124165862764.2579
JR Hazlewood (AUS)2014-202427370132145772429.3618
KAJ Roach (WI)2009-202427382149146202436.4532
PJ Cummins (AUS)2011-202426962115126142102.2464
BS Bedi (IND)1966-197926667118213641096
Danish Kaneria (PAK)2000-201026161112176972949.3517
N Wagner (NZ)2012-202426064122137252287.3473
J Garner (WI)1977-198725958111131692194.5576
JN Gillespie (AUS)1996-200625971137142342372.2630
GP Swann (ENG)2008-201325560109153492558.1493
JB Statham (ENG)1951-19652527012916056595
MA Holding (WI)1975-19872496011312680459
R Benaud (AUS)1952-19642486311619108805
MJ Hoggard (ENG)2000-200824867122139092318.1493
GD McKenzie (AUS)1961-19712466011317681547
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)2007-202424671121156752612.3486
Yasir Shah (PAK)2014-20222444889142552375.5359
BS Chandrasekhar (IND)1964-1979242589715963584
AV Bedser (ENG)1946-1955236519215918574
J Srinath (IND)1991-200223667121151042517.2599
Abdul Qadir (PAK)1977-19902366711117126608
GS Sobers (WI)1954-19742359315921599974
AR Caddick (ENG)1993-200323462105135582259.4501
CS Martin (NZ)2000-201323371126140262337.4486
Mohammed Shami (IND)2013-202322964122115151919.1364
D Gough (ENG)1994-20032295895118211970.1369
RR Lindwall (AUS)1946-19602286111313650419
SJ Harmison (ENG/ICC)2002-200922663115133752229.1431
A Flintoff (ENG/ICC)1998-200922679137149512491.5507
VD Philander (SA)2011-202022464119113911898.3507
PM Siddle (AUS)2008-201922167126139072317.5615
CL Cairns (NZ)1989-200421862104116981949.4414
CV Grimmett (AUS)1925-1936216376714513736
HH Streak (ZIM)1993-200521665102135592259.5595
MG Hughes (AUS)1985-19942125397122852047.3499
SCG MacGill (AUS)1998-20082084485112371872.5365
Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK)1995-20042084986140702345541
Taijul Islam (BAN)2014-20242044886127932132.1378
MM Ali (ENG)2014-202320468119126102101.4293
BA Stokes (ENG)2013-2024203107*154118551975.5351
AME Roberts (WI)1974-1983202479011135382
JA Snow (ENG)1965-1976202499312021415
JR Thomson (AUS)1972-1985200519010535301

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