Courtney Walsh was a lethal bowler in his heydays in Test cricket. He terrorised batters with his sheer pace, which fetched him 500-plus wickets.
But Walsh found himself clueless in front of his peers while holding the bat. And that’s why he holds an unpleasant record in the Test format.
Which record?
Getting out the most times on a duck!
In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 players with the most ducks in Test cricket.
Most Ducks in Test Cricket
| Player | Innings | Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| Courtney Walsh (WI) | 185 | 43 |
| Stuart Broad (ENG) | 244 | 39 |
| Chris Martin (NZ) | 104 | 36 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 138 | 35 |
| Ishant Sharma (IND) | 142 | 34 |
| Shane Warne (AUS) | 199 | 34 |
| James Anderson (ENG) | 265 | 34 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 164 | 33 |
| Zaheer Khan (IND) | 127 | 29 |
| Jasprit Bumrah (IND) | 78 | 28 |
Key Insights on Most Ducks in Tests
Record Holders for Most Ducks and Golden Ducks in Tests
Courtney Walsh holds the unwanted record for scoring the most ducks in the Test format. The former West Indies fast bowler returned to the pavilion with 43 ducks to his name.
Muttiah Muralitharan earned 14 of his 33 ducks on the first ball. This is the most golden ducks by any batter in Tests.
Rangana Herath (11), Walsh (10) and Stuart Broad (10) are the other batters with 10 or more golden ducks in Tests.
Consecutive Noughts and King Pair Milestones in Tests
Bob Holland, Ajit Agarkar and Mohammad Asif have scored the most consecutive ducks in Tests. All three of them registered five consecutive ducks, with Holland dismissed for two golden ducks. (Read more about Ajit Agarkar’s consecutive ducks here.)
Chris Martin has recorded the most pairs (getting out on a duck in both innings of a Test) in Tests, having earned seven pairs (14 ducks).
Over 25 batters have been dismissed on the first ball in both innings of a Test match without scoring a run, which is known as a King Pair.
Home, Away and Opponent Specific Duck Records in Tests
Glenn McGrath earned 21 of his 35 ducks in Australia, the most by a batter at home in Tests.
Walsh scored 29 of his 43 noughts outside the West Indies, making it the most by a batter in overseas Tests.
Walsh recorded 13 of his ducks against Australia, making it the most by a batter against a Test team.
Unique Batting Position and Calendar Year Duck Records
West Indies’ Mervyn Dillon has scored the most ducks in a calendar year in Tests. He recorded 10 scores of noughts in 2002.
West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite has earned the most ducks as an opener in Tests, having gotten out on zero 19 times.
Read Next | Players with Most Run Outs in ODI
