This article explores the greatest bowling performances for India in Test cricket, ranging from historic ten-wicket hauls to longevity milestones.
Best Test Bowling Figures for India
| Player | Bowling Figures (Innings) | Overs Bowled | Against | Venue | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 10/74 | 26.3 | Pakistan | Delhi | 4 Feb 1999 |
| Jasubhai Patel | 9/69 | 35.5 | Australia | Kanpur | 19 Dec 1959 |
| Kapil Dev | 9/83 | 30.3 | West Indies | Ahmedabad | 12 Nov 1983 |
| Subhash Gupte | 9/102 | 34.3 | West Indies | Kanpur | 12 Dec 1958 |
| Vinoo Mankad | 8/52 | 47.0 | Pakistan | Delhi | 16 Oct 1952 |
| Vinoo Mankad | 8/55 | 38.5 | England | Chennai | 6 Feb 1952 |
| Narendra Hirwani | 8/61 | 18.3 | West Indies | Chennai | 11 Jan 1988 |
| Srinivas Venkataraghavan | 8/72 | 51.1 | New Zealand | Delhi | 19 Mar 1965 |
| Narendra Hirwani | 8/75 | 15.2 | West Indies | Chennai | 11 Jan 1988 |
| Erapalli Prasanna* | 8/76 | 23.0 | New Zealand | Auckland | 24 Jan 1976 |
| Bhagwath Chandrasekhar | 8/79 | 41.5 | England | Delhi | 20 Dec 1972 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 8/84 | 41.5 | Australia | Chennai | 18 Mar 2001 |
| Kapil Dev | 8/85 | 30.5 | Pakistan | Lahore | 23 Jan 1983 |
| Javagal Srinath | 8/86 | 27.0 | Pakistan | Eden Gardens | 16 Feb 1999 |
| Kapil Dev | 8/106 | 38.0 | Australia | Adelaide | 13 Dec 1985 |
| Anil Kumble | 8/141 | 46.5 | Australia | Sydney | 2 Jan 2004 |
Explore More “Indian Bowling” Records
Most Wickets in Tests for India
Most Wickets in T20Is for India
Most ODI Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
Most Test Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
Most T20I Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
Most Wickets across All Formats for India
Most ODI 5-Wicket Hauls for India
Most Test 5-Wicket Hauls for India
Most Test 10-Wickets Hauls for India
Most 5-Wicket Hauls for India in Away Tests
Best ODI Bowling Figures for India
Best Test Bowling Figures for India
Best T20I Bowling Figures for India
Most Test Wickets for India in SENA Countries
Best Bowling Average for India in Test Cricket
Key Insights on Greatest Bowling Spells for India in Test Cricket
Individual Performance Records and Innings Milestones
Anil Kumble holds the best bowling figures for India in Test cricket, picking up all 10 wickets for 74 runs against Pakistan in the fourth innings of the 1999 Delhi Test.
Anil Kumble’s 10-wicket feat is overall the second-best bowling figure by any bowler in a Test innings.
Kapil Dev’s 9 for 83 against the West Indies in 1983 are the best bowling figures by a fast bowler for India in Test cricket.
Kapil Dev also holds the record for the best bowling figure by any captain and the best in a losing cause for India in Tests.
Erapalli Prasanna delivered the best bowling figures for India in an away Test with 8 for 76 against New Zealand in 1976.
Narendra Hirwani fetched 8 wickets for 61 runs against the West Indies in 1988, the best figures for India in a debut Test innings.
See the list of pace bowlers with the most Test wickets here.
Match Hauls and Career Accumulation Records
Narendra Hirwani claimed a match haul of 16 for 136 against the West Indies in 1988, which is the best match haul by a bowler on his Test debut.
The 16 for 136 by Hirwani remains the best bowling figure by an Indian bowler in a single Test match.
Ravichandran Ashwin has picked up the most five-wicket hauls (37) and ten-wicket hauls (10) for India in Tests.
Anil Kumble follows closely with eight ten-wicket hauls in Test cricket.
Age and Longevity Bowling Milestones
Ravi Shastri is the youngest Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in Tests, recording 5 for 125 at the age of 18 years and 290 days against New Zealand in 1981.
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is the only Indian bowler to grab three five-wicket hauls before turning 20 in Tests.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the oldest Indian bowler to take a five-for in Tests, achieved at 38 years and two days old with figures of 6 for 88 against Bangladesh in 2024.
Team Performance and Negative Statistical Records
Rajesh Chauhan delivered the most expensive bowling figures for India in a Test innings, conceding 276 runs for one wicket against Sri Lanka in 1997.
During Rajesh Chauhan’s record-expensive spell, Sri Lanka posted 952 for 6, the highest team total in Test format history.
Suresh Raina recorded the worst economy rate for India in a Test innings (minimum 30 balls), with an economy of 11 after giving away 77 runs in seven overs against South Africa in 2010.
