Most Test Wickets for Australia
| Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling (Innings) | Average | Strike Rate | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Warne | 145 | 273 | 708 | 8/71 | 25.41 | 57.4 | 37/10 |
| Glenn McGrath | 124 | 243 | 563 | 8/24 | 21.64 | 51.9 | 29/3 |
| Nathan Lyon | 139 | 259 | 562 | 8/50 | 30.14 | 61.3 | 24/5 |
| Mitchell Starc | 100 | 192 | 402 | 6/9 | 27.02 | 47.4 | 16/2 |
| Dennis Lillee | 70 | 132 | 355 | 7/83 | 23.92 | 52 | 23/7 |
| Mitchell Johnson | 73 | 140 | 313 | 8/61 | 28.4 | 51.1 | 12/3 |
| Brett Lee | 76 | 150 | 310 | 5/30 | 30.81 | 53.3 | 10/0 |
| Pat Cummins | 71 | 132 | 309 | 6/23 | 22.1 | 45.9 | 14/2 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 76 | 143 | 295 | 6/67 | 24.21 | 52.2 | 13/0 |
| Craig McDermott | 71 | 124 | 291 | 8/97 | 28.63 | 56.9 | 14/2 |
Key Insights on Leading Wicket Takers in Australian Test Cricket
Record-Breaking Career and Milestone Scalps
Shane Warne has picked up the most wickets for Australia in Test cricket with 708 wickets. His tally is second only to Muttiah Muralitharan’s 800 on the list of most wickets overall in Tests.
Warne is the only Australian bowler to take 100-plus wickets against three Test teams.
Warne’s 195 scalps against England are the most for an Australian bowler against a specific opponent. You can explore the all-time records for the most wickets against a single opponent in Test history.
Glenn McGrath (ENG & WI) and Nathan Lyon (IND & ENG) have 100-plus wickets against two opponents.
Performance Benchmarks and Match Dominance
Warne’s 37 five-wicket hauls are a national record, and his 10 ten-wicket hauls are the most by a bowler for Australia in Tests. Learn more about the leading bowlers in the most 5 wicket hauls in Test and most 10 wicket hauls in Test records.
Arthur Mailey has delivered the best bowling figures for Australia, returning with 9 for 121 against England in the 1921 Melbourne Test.
Bob Massie delivered the best Test haul for Australia, picking up two eight-fors (8/84 and 8/53) for combined match figures of 16 for 137 against England in the 1972 Lord’s Test. It still ranks fourth best bowling performance (both innings combined) in a Test match by a bowler.
Grimmett bagged 44 wickets on the 1935/36 South Africa tour, which is the most wickets in a bilateral test series by an Australian bowler.
Warne had the most productive outing in 2005, claiming 96 wickets in 15 Tests (30 innings), which stands as the most wickets in a calendar year in Test history.
Charlie Turner once picked six consecutive 5-wicket hauls in Tests, which remains a world record streak today, making it one of the 10 unbreakable cricket records. You can read more about this astonishing feat on the most consecutive 5-wickets hauls in Test page.
Bowling Efficiency and Contextual Records
Charlie Turner has the best bowling average in Test cricket for Australia (minimum 3000 balls bowled), taking 101 wickets at an average of 16.53 in 17 Tests (30 innings).
Frederick Spofforth has the lowest strike rate among Australian bowlers in Tests (minimum 3000 balls bowled), snaring 94 wickets at a strike rate of 44.5 in 18 Tests (30 innings).
Jack Saunders, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and James Pattinson are the other Australian bowlers with a strike rate below 50 in Tests.
Turner is the joint-fastest Australian bowler to take 100 Test wickets, achieving the landmark in his 17th Test in 1895.
Former leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett levelled Turner’s record in 1931.
Fastest to Every 100X Test Wickets
Home, Away, and Asian Conditions Records
For the current generation, find out who leads the most test wickets by active players and find out which legendary bowling pair for Australia hold the record for picking the most wickets by a bowling pair in Tests.
319 of Warne’s wickets came in Australia, the most by an Aussie bowler at home in Tests.
His other 389 wickets came outside home, the most for Australia in away Tests.
Lyon (154) and Warne (127) are the only two Australian bowlers to pick up 100-plus Test wickets in Asia.
Lyon has taken the most Test wickets in Asian conditions among all overseas bowlers.
82 of Dennis Lillee’s 355 wickets came at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the most for Australia at a single venue in Tests.
