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 ten-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.
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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 686 wickets over 335 innings. He has been playing since 2003 and is ranked the top test bowler as of 2023. He is the only fast bowler to take 600 or more wickets and has played the second most test matches after Sachin Tendulkar.
Highest Wicket Taker in Test Cricket | |||||||
| Rank | Player | Wickets | Match | Innings | Best Innings Figure | Best Match Figure | Span |
| 1 | Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 800 | 133 | 230 | 9/51 | 16/220 | 1992-2010 |
| 2 | Shane Warne (AUS) | 708 | 145 | 273 | 8/71 | 12/128 | 1992-2007 |
| 3 | James Anderson (ENG) | 686 | 180* | 335 | 7/42 | 11/71 | 2003-2023 |
| 4 | Anil Kumble (IND) | 619 | 132 | 236 | 10/74 | 14/149 | 1990-2008 |
| 5 | Stuart Broad (ENG) | 587 | 163* | 301 | 8/15 | 11/121 | 2007-2023 |
| 6 | Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 563 | 124 | 243 | 8/24 | 10/27 | 1993-2007 |
| 7 | Courtney Walsh (WI) | 519 | 132 | 242 | 7/37 | 13/55 | 1984-2001 |
| 8 | Nathan Lyon (AUS) | 495 | 121* | 227 | 8/50 | 13/154 | 2011-2023 |
| 9 | Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) | 474 | 92 | 174 | 7/59 | 13/140 | 2011-2023 |
| 10 | Dale Steyn (SA) | 439 | 93 | 171 | 7/51 | 11/60 | 2004-2019 |
| 11 | Kapil Dev (IND) | 434 | 131 | 227 | 9/83 | 11/146 | 1978-1994 |
| 12 | Rangana Herath (SL) | 433 | 93 | 170 | 9/127 | 14/184 | 1999-2018 |
| 13 | Richard Hadlee (NZ) | 431 | 86 | 150 | 9/52 | 15/123 | 1973-1990 |
| 14 | Shaun Pollock (SA) | 421 | 108 | 202 | 7/87 | 10/147 | 1995-2008 |
| 15 | Harbhajan Singh (IND) | 417 | 103 | 190 | 8/84 | 15/217 | 1998-2015 |
| 16 | Wasim Akram (PAK) | 414 | 104 | 181 | 7/119 | 11/110 | 1985-2002 |
| 17 | Curtly Ambrose (WI) | 405 | 98 | 179 | 8/45 | 11/84 | 1988-2000 |
| 18 | Makhaya Ntini (SA) | 390 | 101 | 190 | 7/37 | 13/132 | 1998-2009 |
| 19 | Ian Botham (ENG) | 383 | 102 | 168 | 8/34 | 13/106 | 1977-1992 |
| 20 | Malcolm Marshall (WI) | 376 | 81 | 151 | 7/22 | 11/89 | 1978-1991 |
| 21 | Waqar Younis (PAK) | 373 | 87 | 154 | 7/76 | 13/135 | 1989-2003 |
| 22 | Tim Southee (NZ) | 370 | 94 | 178 | 7/64 | 10/108 | 2008-2023 |
| 23 | Imran Khan (PAK) | 362 | 88 | 142 | 8/58 | 14/116 | 1971-1992 |
| 24 | Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 362 | 113 | 187 | 7/87 | 12/149 | 1997-2014 |
| 25 | Dennis Lillee (AUS) | 355 | 70 | 132 | 7/83 | 11/123 | 1971-1984 |
| 26 | Chaminda Vaas (SL) | 355 | 111 | 194 | 7/71 | 14/191 | 1994-2009 |
| 27 | Allan Donald (SA) | 330 | 72 | 129 | 8/71 | 12/139 | 1992-2002 |
| 28 | Bob Willis (ENG) | 325 | 90 | 165 | 8/43 | 9/92 | 1971-1984 |
| 29 | Trent Boult (NZ) | 317 | 78 | 149 | 6/30 | 10/80 | 2011-2022 |
| 30 | Mitchell Johnson (AUS) | 313 | 73 | 140 | 8/61 | 12/127 | 2007-2015 |
| 31 | Ishant Sharma (IND) | 311 | 105 | 188 | 7/74 | 10/108 | 2007-2021 |
| 32 | Zaheer Khan (IND) | 311 | 92 | 165 | 7/87 | 10/149 | 2000-2014 |
| 33 | Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 310 | 78 | 149 | 6/50 | 11/94 | 2011-2023 |
| 34 | Brett Lee (AUS) | 310 | 76 | 150 | 5/30 | 9/171 | 1999-2008 |
| 35 | Morne Morkel (SA) | 309 | 86 | 160 | 6/23 | 9/110 | 2006-2018 |
| 36 | Lance Gibbs (WI) | 309 | 79 | 148 | 8/38 | 11/157 | 1958-1976 |
| 37 | Fred Trueman (ENG) | 307 | 67 | 127 | 8/31 | 12/119 | 1952-1965 |
| 38 | Derek Underwood (ENG) | 297 | 86 | 151 | 8/51 | 13/71 | 1966-1982 |
| 39 | Jacques Kallis (SA) | 292 | 166 | 272 | 6/54 | 9/92 | 1995-2013 |
| 40 | Craig McDermott (AUS) | 291 | 71 | 124 | 8/97 | 11/157 | 1984-1996 |
| 41 | Kagiso Rabada (SA) | 280 | 60 | 108 | 7/112 | 13/144 | 2015-2023 |
| 42 | Ravindra Jadeja (IND) | 268 | 65 | 124 | 7/42 | 10/110 | 2012-2023 |
| 43 | Bishan Bedi (IND) | 266 | 67 | 118 | 7/98 | 10/194 | 1966-1979 |
| 44 | Kemar Roach (WI) | 261 | 77 | 140 | 6/48 | 10/146 | 2009-2023 |
| 45 | Danish Kaneria (PAK) | 261 | 61 | 112 | 7/77 | 12/94 | 2000-2010 |
| 46 | Joel Garner (WI) | 259 | 58 | 111 | 6/56 | 9/108 | 1977-1987 |
| 47 | Jason Gillespie (AUS) | 259 | 71 | 137 | 7/37 | 9/80 | 1996-2006 |
| 48 | Neil Wagner (NZ) | 258 | 63 | 120 | 7/39 | 9/73 | 2012-2023 |
| 49 | Graeme Swann (ENG) | 255 | 60 | 109 | 6/65 | 10/132 | 2008-2013 |
| 50 | Brian Statham (ENG) | 252 | 70 | 129 | 7/39 | 11/97 | 1951-1965 |
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