Top 5 Wicket Takers between India-England in Tests

Mar 11, 2022

Top 5 Wicket Takers between India-England in Tests Image

England and India have one of the best bowling attack in the world of red ball cricket. Both nations boast superstar bowlers, ranging from James Anderson to Ravichandran Ashwin, who have the power to turn the game on its head. On that topic, here are the top five wicket-takers in the England-India Test series:

1. Bishen Singh Bedi

Bishan Singh Bedi, a former India spinner, had a great run against some of the best batters in the world during his career. With traditional spin bowling, the left-armer used to befuddle his opponents. His main selling point was his ability to vary the flight, loop, and tempo without changing the movement.

 

Bedi appeared in 67 Tests and took 266 wickets, including 14 four-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul. During his illustrious career, the Amritsar youngster was highly successful versus England. He featured in 22 red-ball matches against the English cricket team, capturing 85 wickets with his best performance being 12/167.

 

2. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin is widely regarded as one of the best bowlers of spin in the modern cricket era. His ability to trap batters with remarkable variations like the carrom ball places him among the best of the best in the world.

In addition, the Tamil Nadu cricketer has a fantastic record against England. He has 88 wickets in 19 matches, with a best result of 12/167. In total, Ashwin has 413 wickets in 79 games, and he is only five wickets behind legendary Harbhajan Singh (417) in the longest format.

 

3. Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble, India's all-time great spinner, is another name on this list. With his unique spin bowling blended with pace and bounce, the lanky leg-spinner absolutely ruled world cricket during his time. Kumble has 619 wickets in 132 Test matches, making him the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history.

 

Even when facing England, the Karanataka veteran has a stellar track record. He appeared in 19 matches against England, taking 92 wickets, with his best performance being 10/233. The former leg-spinner averaged 30.59 against England while his best figures in an innings were 7 for 115.

 

4. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

Bhagwath Subramanya Chandrasekhar was an absolute virtuoso with the ball and was one of India's biggest match-winners, especially in foreign settings. Chandrasekhar was a cricketer in the 1960s and 1970s, when fast bowlers dominated the game.

 

The tracks then were absolutely against spinners in those times, and Chandrasekhar showed his mettle in the most difficult phase. In 58 Test matches, the leggie took 242 wickets, including 16 five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket hauls.

 

In the list of top 5 wickets takes in Test Sesies against England, Chandrasekhar took 95 wickets in 23 matches against England at an average of 27.27, with his best figures of 9/107, and stand in the second spot.

 

5. James Anderson

James Anderson, the only Englishman on the list of top wickettakers in Tests between India and England, is a swing bowler. The 'Burnley Express' needs no introduction as a bowler who has excelled in the game's oldest format. Anderson now holds the record for most wickets taken by a seamer and/or any bowler.

 

The right-handed spinner has taken 131 wickets in 33 Tests against India, with a record of 9/43 being his finest performance. Anderson, the first pacer to capture 600 Test wickets and England's highest wicket-taker in Tests, was instrumental in England's series victory over India in their own backyard in 2012.

 

Most wickets in India vs England Tests

 

Pos

Player

Matches

Innings

Maidens

Wickets

BBI

BBM

Econ

1

James Anderson

33

62

333

131

5/20

9/43

2.72

2

Bhagwat Chandrasekhar

23

38

249

95

8/79

9/107

2.5

3

Anil Kumble

19

36

258

92

7/115

10/233

2.62

4

Ravichandran Ashwin

19

35

159

88

6/55

12/167

2.77

5

Bhishan Bedi

22

36

373

85

6/71

7/100

2.12

6

Kapil Dev

27

48

227

85

6/91

8/168

3

7

Stuart Broad

22

39

180

70

6/25

8/76

2.79

8

Ishant Sharma

22

36

147

67

7/74

7/135

2.99

9

Bob Willis

17

30

96

62

6/53

9/142

2.93

10

Derek Underwood

20

36

322

62

5/84

9/173

2.04