"Batters will win you matches, but bowlers will win you championships." India has given world cricket many batters. Batters like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and many more have created many records. But this factory of producing batters has also produced legendary bowlers who have registered themselves in the record books of test cricket. This article will introduce us to the most successful bowlers to play for India in test cricket.
1. Anil Kumble- 619 wickets
Anil Kumble was a tall right-arm leg-break bowler. Unlike the orthodox wrist spinners, Kumble didn't turn the ball much. He was India's greatest match-winner in red-ball cricket. Kumble is only the second bowler after Jim Laker to have taken all the ten wickets in an innings. This feat came against Pakistan when he took 10/74 at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium. The Wisden Almanack, the Bible of cricket, rated the performance as the second-best bowling performance of all time. He holds the record for most LBW dismissals (156) in Test cricket.
2. Ashwin- 442* wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin started his career in the shorter format of the game. He made his debut in red-ball cricket a couple of years later & has become India's premier bowler in the subcontinent. Ashwin is the fastest bowler to take 250, 300, and 350 test wickets. He also holds the record for the 2nd most player-of-the-series award (9*) in test cricket. He is arguably the biggest match-winner for India in test cricket. If he remains fit, he can break the record of most wickets in test matches for India.
3. Kapil Dev- 434 wickets
Kapil Dev was arguably the best fast bowling all-rounder India has produced. The Haryana Hurricane never missed a single match because of fitness issues. His deadly outswingers were just too good for any batter. He could also swing his willow and tonk the ball a long way. He is the only cricketer to take 400 wickets and score over 5000 runs in Test cricket history, making him one of the greatest all-rounders.
4. Harbhajan Singh- 417 wickets
Hailing from the Ludhiana region of Punjab, Harbhajan was a bowling all-rounder. He was a right-arm off-break bowler with the power of smashing quick runs when called on. Debuting around the time when Anil Kumble was at the peak of his powers, the duo quickly formed a lethal bowling pair. After Kumble retired, Harbhajan became India's go-to spinners at home and in overseas conditions. In 103 test matches, he bagged 417 wickets. He is also the only Indian spinner to take a test hat trick.
5. Ishant Sharma- 311* wickets
A 19-year-old tall fast bowler with lovely high arm action and consistently clocking 140 km/hr shot into prominence when he bowled an unforgettable spell to Ricky Ponting. Ishant had a topsy-turvy career. He started well, but his form diminished with time. However, in 2014, his career-best spell bowling of 7/74 against England at Lord's, where he bounced out the English batters on a 5th-day pitch, helped India claim victory at Lord's after 28 long years.
6. Zaheer Khan- 311 wickets
One of India's great Left-arm pacers, Zaheer Khan, had the talent of controlling all the three bowls well- SG, Dukes, and Kookaburra. He could sense the weakness of the batter. He could also reverse-swing the old ball, a quality that made him a trustworthy wicket-taking bowling option for the skipper. His consistency in bowling accurate deliveries to a left-handed batter was a delight to watch. He soon took over the reins of India's bowling attack & became a mentor-like figure for them.
7. Bishan Singh Bedi-266 wickets
Bishan Singh Bedi was a left-arm orthodox spinner who played test cricket for India in the 1960s and 1970s. In the era of intimidating the batters with bouncers, Bedi used to give flight to the ball and deceive the batters with drift and turn. He had immaculate control over his bowling and could hang the ball in the air just for a few more moments. The ability to bowl long spells throughout the day made him an asset to his captain. Bedi had an uncanny ability to spin the ball even on the flattest of decks.
8. Ravindra Jadeja- 242* wickets
A very few cricketers of today's generation have the honor of being referred to as SIR. Ravindra Jadeja is one of them. He does not toss the ball much. He bowls with a flatter trajectory and quickly finishes his overs, giving batters a little time to think. At present, Jadeja is rated the best all-rounder in Test cricket. He is a 3-dimensional player in the proper sense with his ability to score quick runs, dismiss batters at crucial times, and his rocket arm throw in the fielding.
9. Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar- 242 wickets
BS Chandrasekhar was a right-arm leg spinner. His story is inspirational. In his childhood, he suffered from Polio which withered his right hand. But this shortcoming did not stop him from becoming one of the biggest match-winners for India in overseas tests. He troubled the greats of the game with his leg-spin. His 6-wickets for 38 runs against England at the Oval in 1971 got India their first Test win on England soil.
10. Javagal Srinath-236 wickets
Javagal Srinath was a right-arm pacer with the ability to generate bounce from the surface with his high arm action. Srinath also used to add variations to his bowling later in his career. His career was short-lived because of injuries throughout his career. Srinath played 67 Test matches & has taken 236 wickets. His innings best figure stands at 8/86 against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens.
