500 test wickets is a mammoth milestone in test cricket and not many have reached this great record. In fact, there are only a handful of bowlers who have reached this stature in test cricket that comes having scalped 500 test wickets.
For a bowler, the feeling of getting 500 test wickets is as special as the feeling of reaching 10000 test runs for a batsman. It is one big achievement to celebrate and relish forever as it takes a great talent and a fine bowling skill to pick up 500 wickets in test cricket. It takes a lot of fitness and an enduring career to reach here.
Among the bowlers who have 500 test wickets in their bag, Muthiah Muralitharan is the fastest having reached 500 test wickets in just 87 test matches.
He is not just the fastest to reach 500 test wickets but also the only bowler to do it in less than 100 test matches.
Muralitharan has picked 800 test wickets in his career from 133 matches which is the highest tally of test wickets in the history of cricket.
He is well ahead of Shane Warne who finished with 708 test wickets from 145 matches.
Following Muralitharan on the list is India’s legendary spinner and former test captain, Anil Kumble. Anil Kumble reached 500 test wickets in 105 matches while Shane Warne took 108 matches to reach the huge milestone. In his illustrious career, Anil Kumble finished 619 wickets from 132 matches.
Among the bowlers who have reached 500 test wickets, Courtney Walsh, Glenn McGrath, and James Anderson are the three pacers while others on the list have spun their way to reach 500 test wickets. Jimmy Anderson is the only cricketer on the list who is presently playing the game.
HERE ARE THE BOWLERS WHO REACHED 500 TEST WICKETS AND THE NUMBER OF MATCHES THEY TOOK
1.Muralitharan: 87 matches
2.Anil Kumble: 105 matches
3.Shane Warne: 108 matches
4.Glenn Mcgrath: 110 matches
5.Courtney Walsh: 129 matches
6.James Anderson: 129 matches
