A five-wicket haul from a bowler not only denotes that he has been the best bowler in the innings, but also has the potential to win you matches for the team. We will now have a look at the bowlers with the most five-wicket hauls in test cricket.

P.S: The data is of June 2022

10. Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn had a marvellous career for South Africa in all three formats, but mostly in test cricket. He was the No.1 bowler in the world for an extended period of time. In terms of statistics, he had a slightly better average than the others who took wickets comparable to that of his, but his strike rate stands far ahead of the rest. Unlike most other fast bowlers from outside Asia, Steyn was also effective in Asian conditions.

Dale Steyn had 26 five-wicket hauls in his career.

9. Ian Botham

Ian Botham is one of the greatest all-rounders, cricket has ever seen. He was a powerful striker of the ball when it came to batting. In terms of bowling. He was among the finest bowlers of the world. He won multiple games for England on his bowling alone.

Ian Botham had 27 five-wicket hauls in his career.

8. Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath, along with Shane Warne, was the main reason for the Australian team’s dominant run in the 2000s. His pace was decent, but what made him lethal was his terrific control, and the ability to consistently bowl in the same spot, ball-after-ball. Throughout his career, he racked up five-wicket hauls in multiple countries.

Glenn McGrath had 29 five-wicket hauls in his career.

7. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin is currently the best spinner in the world, when it comes to test cricket. Initially termed as an Asian specialist, he has honed his skills over the course of his career to the extent of becoming the best bowler in the Indian team during the World Test Championship finals, that happened in England in 2021. When it comes to tests in India, he is simply unstoppable. Batsmen of any position, playing for any team, coming in with any form, always succumb to him. He is the main reason for, India having a run of nearly 10 years of winning all the test series at home.

Ravichandran Ashwin has 30 five-wicket hauls in his career.

6. James Anderson

There are two things insane about James Anderson. One is, obviously, his skill in swinging the ball. The second will be his longevity. He has been playing for nearly 20 years as a fast bowler and still is the best bowler of England. He is third in terms of overall test wickets.

James Anderson has 31 five-wicket hauls in his career.

5. Rangana Herath

Rangana Herath was a useful second spinner during the times Muralitharan played, and he transitioned beautifully into the role of the lead spinner for Sri Lanka, orchestrating multiple wins from his fourth innings bowling.

Rangana Herath had 34 five-wicket hauls in his career.

4. Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble was a match-winner for India for years. He had a particularly quick delivery, and his googlies were pretty dangerous. He managed to rack up a lot of wickets. He, along with Harbhajan Singh, ensured India won as much as possible in Indian conditions.

Anil Kumble had 35 five-wicket hauls in his career.

3. Richard Hadlee

Richard Hadlee had been one of the biggest names of New Zealand cricket during his playing days. He used to carry a weak New Zealand team with his splendid performances. He took five-wicket hauls consistently over the years.

Richard Hadlee had 36 five-wicket hauls in his career.

2. Shane Warne

Shane Warne was among the best two spinners in the world. Also, he was a player whose bowling was considered to be very stylish. His deliveries spun a lot. He is said to have revived a dying art of leg spin in test cricket in Australia and also in the entire cricketing world.

Shane Warne had 37 five-wicket hauls in his career.

1. Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan was among the best two spinners in the world. He carried the poor Sri Lankan bowling on his back. He often bowled a lot of overs on one end and dismissed the opposition batsmen one-by-one, all by himself.

Muttiah Muralitharan had 67 five-wicket hauls in his career.