Test cricket can test one’s ability. There are only very few who come out as successful Test cricketers.
Picking five wickets in a Test innings or ten wickets in a Test match comes in the same category of a challenging task.
Below is the top 10 bowlers with most 5-wicket-hauls in Test cricket.
Most 5-Wicket Hauls in Test Cricket
| PLAYERS | 5 WICKETS | MATCHES | INNINGS | WICKETS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 67 | 133 | 230 | 800 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) | 37 | 106 | 200 | 537 |
| Shane Warne (AUS) | 37 | 145 | 273 | 708 |
| Richard Hadlee (NZ) | 36 | 86 | 150 | 431 |
| Anil Kumble (IND) | 35 | 132 | 236 | 619 |
| Rangana Herath (SL) | 34 | 93 | 170 | 433 |
| James Anderson (ENG) | 32 | 188 | 350 | 704 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 29 | 124 | 243 | 563 |
| Ian Botham (AUS) | 27 | 102 | 168 | 383 |
| Dale Steyn (SA) | 26 | 93 | 171 | 439 |
More Test Career Records
Key Insights on Leading Bowlers with Most Five-Wicket Hauls in Test Cricket
All-Time Five-Wicket Haul Records in Tests
Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, having fetched 67 in 230 innings for Sri Lanka.
Muralitharan has also picked up the most ten-wicket hauls in Tests, with 22 spells to his name.
New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee has taken the most five-fors among fast bowlers in Tests, with 36 spells to his name.
Muralitharan picked up five-wicket hauls in both innings of a Test match 11 times, the most by a bowler in this format.
Home, Away and Venue-Specific Test Five-for Milestones
Muralitharan claimed 45 of his 67 five-fors in Sri Lanka, the most by a bowler at home in Tests. Notably, no other bowler has more than 30 five-fors in home Tests.
Murali’s other 22 five-wicket hauls came outside Sri Lanka, making it the most by a bowler in overseas Tests.
Hadlee and Shane Warne are the other two bowlers with 20 or more fifers in away Tests.
Muralitharan is the only bowler to take 10 or more five-wicket hauls each at three venues in Tests. His 14 five-fors at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground are the most at a single venue, followed by 11 each in Kandy and Galle.
Series, Opponent and Calendar Year Test Five-for Stats
England’s Sydney Barnes has claimed the most five-wicket hauls in a bilateral Test series. He picked up seven five-fors on the 1913/14 South Africa tour.
The seven five-fors helped Barnes get 49 wickets on the tour, the most by a bowler in a bilateral Test series.
Hadlee has picked up the most five-wicket hauls against an opponent in Tests, with 14 of his 36 five-fors coming against Australia.
Sydney Barnes (vs AUS & SA) and Muralitharan (vs BAN vs SA) are the two bowlers with more than 10 five-fors each against two Test teams.
West Indies’ Malcolm Marshall and Muralitharan hold the joint record for the most five-wicket hauls in a calendar year in Tests. Both claimed nine five-fors in 1984 and 2006, respectively.
Muralitharan took five or more five-wicket hauls in seven calendar years, the most by any bowler in Tests.
Imran Khan has taken the most five-fors as a captain in Tests, having claimed 12 while taking 187 wickets in 71 innings for Pakistan.
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