Most Test Wickets for India
| Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 132 | 236 | 619 | 29.65 | 35/8 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 106 | 200 | 537 | 24.00 | 37/8 |
| Kapil Dev | 131 | 227 | 434 | 29.64 | 23/2 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 103 | 190 | 417 | 32.46 | 25/5 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 87 | 163 | 338 | 25.21 | 15/5 |
| Zaheer Khan | 92 | 165 | 311 | 32.94 | 11/1 |
| Ishant Sharma | 105 | 188 | 311 | 32.40 | 11/1 |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | 67 | 118 | 266 | 28.71 | 14/1 |
| Bhagwath Chandrasekhar | 58 | 97 | 242 | 29.74 | 16/2 |
| Javagal Srinath | 67 | 121 | 236 | 30.49 | 10/1 |
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
Best ODI Bowling Figures for India
Best Test Bowling Figures for India
Best T20I Bowling Figures for India
Key Insights: India’s All-Time Leading Wicket Takers in Test Cricket
India’s Apex Spinners: Kumble vs. Ashwin
Anil Kumble holds the record for taking the most wickets for India in Tests, having picked up 619 scalps in 132 matches.
Kumble is one of the five bowlers worldwide to have taken 600-plus wickets in Tests, and he is the second-fastest to the mark, reaching it in 124 innings.
Kumble’s eight ten-wicket hauls are only equalled by Ravichandran Ashwin, making them the joint most for India in Tests.
Ravichandran Ashwin holds the record for the most Test five-wicket hauls for India, taking 37 in 106 matches.
Ashwin’s 37 five-fors are the joint second most in Test history, alongside the late Shane Warne.
The Match-Winner Advantage
31 of Ashwin’s five-wicket hauls came in wins, which is the most for India and the second most overall by a bowler in Tests.
He also has the most ten-fors in victories by an Indian Test bowler, with seven of his eight ten-fors coming in wins.
Ashwin has taken the most wickets in Test wins for India, with 374 of his 537 scalps coming in victories. Overall, he is one of the six bowlers with 350-plus Test wickets in wins.
Home, Away, and Asian Dominance
Home Conditions (Indian Soil): Ashwin leads the wicket chart on Indian soil with 383 wickets (including 29 five-wicket hauls, the most by an Indian), while Kumble trails him with 350 scalps at home.
Away Conditions (Outside India): Kumble leads the pack with 269 wickets, including ten five-fors in 69 Tests.
Asian Conditions: Ashwin has fetched the most Test wickets in Asia for India, with 433 wickets and 33 five-wicket hauls. This tally is the second most among all bowlers in Tests globally.
Outside Asia: Kumble again tops the chart for India, with 200 wickets in 50 Tests.
Kapil Dev: The Premier Indian Pacer
Kapil Dev has snared the most wickets (434 scalps), most five-fors (23), and the joint-most ten-fors (two) as a pacer for India in Tests.
He is the highest wicket-taker for India as a captain in Tests, having taken 111 wickets in 34 matches. His four five-wicket hauls as captain are only bettered by Bishan Singh Bedi (8).
Irfan Pathan is the only other Indian pacer to take two ten-wicket hauls in Tests, equalling Dev’s record.
Jasprit Bumrah: The Modern Day Pace Standard
Jasprit Bumrah is the only Indian bowler to average below 20 and strike below 50 in Test cricket among those who’ve bowled 5000-plus deliveries, signifying elite efficiency.
Bumrah is also the only Indian bowler to pick up more than 150 Test wickets in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries, highlighting his overseas dominance.
Ashwin, however, has fetched the most Test wickets against SENA teams among Indian bowlers, with 361 wickets in 73 matches, a record that includes all SENA wickets.
Dominance Against Opponents
Ashwin’s consistency against powerhouse teams is a marker of his greatness.
Ashwin has taken the most wickets against an opponent for India in Tests, having dismissed 115 Australian batters in 23 Tests.
He is the only Indian bowler with 100-plus wickets against two Test teams, with the other being England (114).
