Most Wickets in a Test Match All Time List Including India Star Bowler Performances by Kheloexch Guide

Test cricket is where cricket fans, scattered around the globe, come to behold awesome bowling feats. Taking wickets in Test cricket requires great skill and patience. The longer format has a few extraordinary spells which have found a place in history.

From Jim Laker's record 19 wickets to modern giants like Mohammed Siraj, Test cricket is still a stage for extraordinary bowling.

These testimonies of greatness prove that Test cricket still stands erect in front of any bowler and promises infinite enjoyment to cricket lovers at Kheloexch.

Record Holders for Most Wickets in a Test Match

There is a terrific bowler called Jim Laker. So he holds the record for the most wickets in a Test match with 19 wickets against Australia in 1956. His 19 for 90 remains unmatched in the annals of Test cricket. Laker went on to take 9 wickets in the first innings and all 10 wickets in the second innings to be etched in history of greatest bowling performances.

Behind Laker, there exist several bowlers who have taken fifteen or more wickets in a single Test. Sydney Barnes took 17 wickets for 159 runs against South Africa in 1913, and Narendra Hirwani from India took 16 wickets for 136 runs against the West Indies in 1988. These are the zenith of bowling performances in Test cricket.

Bowler	Country	Wickets	Runs	Match
Jim Laker	England	19	90	vs Australia, 1956
Sydney Barnes	England	17	159	vs South Africa, 1913
Narendra Hirwani	India	16	136	vs West Indies, 1988
Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	16	220	vs England, 1998
Richard Hadlee	New Zealand	15	123	vs Australia, 1985
Fred Trueman	England	15	104	vs West Indies, 1961

India Star Bowlers with Most Wickets in a Test Match

India has sheltered some incredible bowlers who have taken some of the most wickets in Test matches. See, Anil Kumble has most Test wickets among any Indian bowler with 619 which is a big number. He is the only Indian bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings, taking all 10 against Pakistan in 1999.Which is considered as the most wickets in a test match by a bowler.

And Ravichandran Ashwin has 537 wickets and counting, he is second to only Kumble, He is only appearing in Test cricket full-time since 2011. Kapil Dev amassed 434 wickets in his 460-Test career, he was the first Indian fast bowler to claim over 400 wickets in Test cricket. Harbhajan Singh took 417 wickets, he helped India make one of their most famous wins in 2001 against Australia.

These Indian bowlers have made their mark in history:

Anil Kumble: First Indian to take 10 wickets in an innings

Ravichandran Ashwin: Second Indian to take 500 Wickets in Test cricket

Kapil Dev: First Indian fast bowler to go beyond a figure of 400

Harbhajan Singh: Noted for having a hat-trick against Australia

Player	Matches	Wickets	Best Figures
Anil Kumble	132	619	10/74
Ravichandran Ashwin	106	537	7/59
Kapil Dev	131	434	9/83
Harbhajan Singh	103	417	8/84
Ravindra Jadeja	72	319	7/42
Ishant Sharma	105	311	7/74

Most Wickets in a Test Match: 2025 Performance Leaders

Some great bowling performances happened in Test cricket 2025. Blessing Muzarabani from Zimbabwe tops the bowling list with 36 wickets from 9 matches (best 7/58) and got those by taking wickets quite regularly.

Having taken 29 wickets, Australia's fast bowler Starc has a best of 6/9 among fast bowlers, while Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj has taken 27 wickets and his 6/70 is evidence of the growing influence he is having in Test cricket.

These performances truly place emphasis on bowling standards in modern Test cricket.

Shamar Joseph from the West Indies has taken 22 wickets in just 3 matches shadowed by an impressive five-wicket haul. Pat Cummins went on to collect 20 wickets, with the best return of 6/28. These bowlers stand for the coming bowling fraternity in Test cricket and keep entertaining the cricket fans at Kheloexch360.

The All-Time Greatest Bowling Performances in Test History

With 800 wickets in Test cricket, Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for the most wickets. His record includes 67 five-wicket hauls in an innings and 22 ten-wicket hauls in matches. He is followed by Shane Warne (708 wickets) and subsequently, James Anderson (704 wickets).

The highest ever individual bowling performance belongs to Jim Laker, who took 19 wickets in a match. There are only three bowlers that have taken all 10 wickets in a Test innings: Jim Laker, Anil Kumble, and Ajaz Patel.

These ultra-rare performances are at the pinnacle of bowling glory in Test cricket.

Four wickets in a single over is another very rare feat and has been achieved by only six bowlers in Test history. Maurice Allom, Ken Cranston, Fred Titmus, Chris Old, Wasim Akram, and Andy Caddick are the ones who share this amazing bowling achievement.

Test cricket continues to receive fresh bowling performances to add to its illustrious past. From age-old records to modern demonstrations and achievements, bowlers have always pushed the frontiers of possibility in the longest format of the game.