The legendary Indian cricketer, Anil Kumble, still holds the top place for the Indian Test wicket-takers in South African soil. The leg-spinner, known for his uncanny bowling records in the longer format, has taken 45 wickets, 2 less than the second-placed Javagal Srinath, in the Tests played in the Proteas land.
Among the current Indian bowling unit, the pace-trio Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah are the names that are involved in the top ten list of the same category. You can find the batters list here.
The table lists the top ten Indian bowlers who have picked the highest number of Test wickets in South African venues.
Most Test wickets by Indian bowlers in South Africa
| BOWLERS | INNINGS | WICKETS | BEST BOWLING | 5-FOR | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 24 | 45 | 6/53 | 1 | 32.02 |
| Javagal Srinath | 16 | 43 | 6/76 | 3 | 25.27 |
| Mohammed Shami | 13 | 31 | 5/28 | 2 | 21.87 |
| Zaheer Khan | 15 | 30 | 4/62 | 0 | 35.60 |
| Shanthakumaran Sreesanth | 11 | 27 | 5/40 | 2 | 28.55 |
| Ishant Sharma | 13 | 20 | 4/79 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 9 | 20 | 5/54 | 1 | 23.40 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 7 | 18 | 7/120 | 1 | 34.00 |
| Venkatesh Prasad | 6 | 17 | 5/60 | 2 | 25.00 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 10 | 4/87 | 0 | 20.30 |
Stats Highlights
Shardul Thakur’s 7/63 in the 2021 Wanderers Test is the best performance by an Indian bowler in the land of Proteas. Previously it was Harbhajan Singh’s 7/120 in Cape Town against the host nation. It is also Harbhajan’s last appearance in the country.
Javagal Srinath has picked three 5-wicket-hauls – the most by any Indian bowler in South Africa.
Another former Indian bowler, Venkatesh Prasad’s match figure of 10/153, is the only 10-wicket-haul by an Indian bowler in SA.
Read Now: Which Test bowler has picked the most wickets in home venues?
