When it comes to bowling in Test cricket, names like James Anderson, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shane Warne, and many more come into mind. The introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) by the International Cricket Council has made it an even more cutthroat format of the game. In such a competition, a significant onus is on bowlers to provide their teams with crucial and timely wickets. Some bowlers have been very successful in WTC. Here are the Top 10 Wicket Takers In World Test Championships (till 27 February 2022)-
1. Pat Cummins (Australia)
Patrick James Cummins leads the chart for the most wickets in the WTC. In 36 innings, he has taken 91 wickets at an average of 20.34 (fourth-best). His best bowling in an innings came against New Zealand in Melbourne in December 2019. He has bowled 189 maiden overs (second-most) in these innings. In November 2021, he was declared the captain of the Australian Test team.
2. Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
The wizard of India follows Cummins on this list. In 36 innings, Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 88 matches with the best bowling figures of 7/145 in an inning. His average of 20.28 is the third-best among all bowlers in WTCs. He has 4 five-wicket hauls in an innings, which is joint second-most.
3. Stuart Broad (England)
England’s lanky pacer Stuart Broad has bowled in 40 innings and has accounted for 83 wickets. He has taken 5 wickets in 3 innings. In the third Test match against West Indies in Manchester in 2020, Broad recorded figures of 6/31 and 4/36 to achieve a 10-wicket haul in a match.
4. Tim Southee (New Zealand)
Swing-bowler Tim Southee was a vital cog in New Zealand’s victorious World Test Championship (2019-21). In the second inning of the WTC Final 2021, Southee dismissed 4 India batters to set up a 139-run target. He has taken five (joint-most) 5-wicket hauls in an inning. He has taken 80 wickets in 34 innings and has recorded 173 (third-most) maiden overs.
5. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has recorded 72 wickets in 34 innings. He has taken 5 wickets in an inning on four occasions. In the third Test against New Zealand in Sydney on January 2020, he registered two 5-wicket hauls in as many innings to end up with the match figures of 10 for 118. He has delivered 794 (most) overs in these innings.
6. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada is known for this express pace. Since the start of the WTC, he has taken 66 wickets in 26 innings. He has two 5-wickets hauls to his name. He was an important pillar in South Africa’s comeback win by 2-1 over India in 2022.
7. Mohammed Shami (India)
Mohammed Shami has made a massive improvement as a Test bowler in the past few years. With two 5-wicket hauls, he has taken 65 wickets in 31 innings. He averages 21.78 and strikes at 43.8 with an economy of 2.98.
8. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
Jasprit Bumrah’s unorthodox bowling action makes him a strike bowler for a captain. His pace and variations have fetched him wickets of many world-class batters. In 32 innings, he has taken 64 wickets with the best inning figure of 6/27 (against West Indies in 2019 in Kingston). In a match against West Indies in 2019 in North Sound (Antigua), he recorded a strike rate of 9.6 (fourth-best in an inning).
9. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
Shaheen Afridi, the tall youngster from Pakistan, has taken 64 wickets in 26 innings. He has an average of 23.65, a strike rate of 48.8, and an economy of 2.90. In a match against West Indies in 2021 in Kingston, he recorded his best inning figure of 6/51.
10. Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand)
In June 2021 in Southampton, New Zealand played against India in the final of the World Test Championship 2019-21. Kyle Jamieson completely punctured India’s first innings by taking 5 wickets. He also scored a crucial 21 in the second innings and took 2 wickets in the third one. His performance earned him the Man of the Match award. With a height of 6’ 8”, Jamieson can extract extra bounce from the pitch and take wickets. In 26 innings, he has taken 63 wickets. His average of 17.82 is the second-best among all the bowlers in WTC. His strike rate of 41.6 is the fourth-best.
