List: Most Wickets in Test Cricket for India; Know Top 10 Indian Test Bowlers

The Indian cricket team has been in the form of their life when it comes to the longest format of the game. They have been dominating test cricket in recent years. And the credit for the same goes to most wicket takers in test cricket in India.

Cricket may be a batter’s game, but a team cannot win the game unless their bowlers pick up wickets on regular time and put the opposition under pressure.

India has a number of such bowlers, especially in test cricket, that is capable of putting Opposition batters under pressure. And in this article, we will take a look at the history of Indian cricket and see the best Indian bowlers with the most wickets in test cricket.

Picking up wickets in the longest format of cricket is an art. Hence, there are only the best players who feature on the list of players with the most wickets in test cricket for India.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the list of most wicket takers in test cricket for India.

Most Test wickets for India

Most Test wickets for India Overview

India has some of the best bowlers in the world, but let’s read in deep about the careers of some of the most prolific wicket takers for India in Test Cricket.

Anil Kumble 619 wickets

The first thing that comes to one’s mind upon reading this name is not the feat that he has the most wickets in test cricket for India. Rather, it is his valorous effort with a band-aid face and a magnificent inning in which Kumble picked up all ten wickets in an inning for India.

Anil Kumble is undoubtedly the best spinner that India has ever produced. And if there was any doubt in anyone’s mind, the player has 619 wickets to his name, which makes him the most wicket-taker for India in tests.

Kumble made his debut in 1990 and played for a total of 18 years for the Indian team. During that time period, he scripted multiple records for the Indian team, with picking up a 10-wicket haul in the inning being the biggest of them all.

Kumble will always be remembered as the most prolific test bowler India has ever produced.

Ravichandran Ashwin 463 Wickets

After mentioning Anil Kumble, an all-time great, we have a modern great on this list in the form of Ravichandran Ashwin. He has the most wickets in test cricket for India among the currently active players on the Indian Roster.

Ashwin made his Test Match debut in the 2011 series against West Indies. And since then, he has not looked back in the game’s longest format. The Chennai-born cricketer went on to represent India in a total of 90 test matches, both in India and Overseas, and has managed to claim a total of 463 wickets.

Apart from that, Ashwin is also very handy with the bat in hand. So, he is not considered an out-and-out spinner but a handy all-rounderall-rounder who can manage to take a fifer and score a much-needed fifty for his team.

Kapil Dev 400 wickets

The name Kapil Dev resonates with India’s 1983 World Cup Triumph in England. But very few know that Kapil Dev has the most wickets for India in test cricket.

The Haryana Hurricane, as many called him in his playing days, has a total of 400 wickets to his name from just 131 games for his nation. Kapil Dev played his first test match in the year 1978 against Pakistan. His last test came in 1994 against New Zealand.

Just like Ravichandran Ashwin, Kapil Dev was a handy batter as well. In his illustrious career, the former captain managed to score 5248 runs, which included 8 hundreds and 23 fifties.

Harbhajan Singh 417 wickets

Another evergreen spinner with the most wickets for India in test cricket is Harbhajan Singh. Known as Turbanator by his peers and fans, Singh has been a huge part of the Indian team ever since his debut for the Indian side in 1998.

He was the only off spinner with the most wicket in tests for India until Ashwin overtook him. However, that doesn’t underplay the huge role Harbhajan has played over the years. He has 25 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket hauls, which speaks volumes about his bowling prowess in test cricket.

All in all, Harbhajan played 103 tests for India from 1998 to 2015 and picked up 417 wickets with a BBI of 8/84. He will always be remembered as one of the best spinners to have played for India.

Ishant Sharma 311 wickets

The Indian team saw great dominance in home and away tests from 2014 onwards. And most of its credit goes to Ishant Sharma, who was one of the most robust pacers for them in overseas conditions in particular.

Sharma debuted in 2007 against Bangladesh, but he caught everyone’s attention in the 2008 tour of Australia, where he troubled the likes of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke.

Ishant Sharma was destined to do great things in the test for India. However, injuries marred his career immensely. Sharma eventually returned in the 2010s and left behind a great legacy for India. He was the driving force behind India’s overseas success.

Sharma has played a total of 105 test matches for India. He is the second place to play 100 tests and pick the most wickets in test cricket for India.

Zaheer Khan 311 wickets

If Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami spearheaded the 2010s pace attack of Indian bowling, then Zaheer Khan has to be the pioneer of that movement in the 2000s.

Know for his controlled swing and accurate bowling with a fast pace, Zaheer Khan ruled Indian bowling for over a decade. He debuted for India in 2000 against Bangladesh and went on the play for almost 15 years, with his last test coming in 2014 against New Zealand.

He became the first left-handed bowler with the most wickets and matches for India in test cricket. Zaheer Khan featured in a total of 93 test matches and claimed 311 wickets in them.

Apart from that, he also holds the third-highest wickets of left-handers in this game format. He is third after Muralitharan (325) and Shaun Pollock (252). Zaheer has 237 wickets of left-handers alone.

Bishan Singh Bedi 266 wickets

One of the forgotten heroes of the 70s era is the legendary spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi. Known for his lethal and accurate left-arm spin bowling, Bedi is known to have brought the revolution of spin bowling to India.

He represented India for 14 years. From 1966 to 1979, he was the dominating force in Indian spin bowling. During this time, he played a total of 67 games and claimed a total of 266 wickets in them.

He will always be remembered as one of India’s best spinners in test cricket.