Test cricket is filled with a number of bowling greats who have dominated eras and the best of the batters in the history. Picking wickets in Test cricket requires great deal of patience, planning, and attrition, as the batters are looking to tire out the bowlers and give them respect, unlike in white-ball cricket where batters look for runs and make mistakes.
A remarkable achievement for any bowler is to get a five-wicket haul in a Test innings. Even more of an outstanding achievement is to get a 10-wicket match haul in a Test match. Any bowler picking up 10 or more wickets in a Test match is an indication that he’s dominated the game single-handedly.
List of top 5 bowlers with most 10-wicket match hauls in Test cricket:
Muthiah Muralidaran – 22
With a staggering 22 10-wicket match hauls in Test cricket, the legendary Sri Lankan off-break bowler Muthiah Muralidaran stands miles ahead of the second man on this list.
Muralidaran is the leading all-time Test wicket-taker with 800 scalps which he took in his career that spanned from 1992 to 2010. He took a record 67 Test five-wicket innings hauls.
Shane Warne – 10
Hailed as the greatest showman cricket has seen, the iconic Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne is second on this list, but way behind Muralidaran with 10 ten-wicket match hauls in Test cricket. The man who hogged the limelight throughout his career, Shane Warne is the second-highest Test wicket-taker with 708 wickets to his name. He had 37 five-wicket innings hauls in his career that ran from 1992 to 2007.
Richard Hadlee – 9
The great New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee is one of the most successful, dominant all-rounders of all-time. A seam-bowling all-rounder, Richard Hadlee had 9 10-fers in Test matches. He’s New Zealand’s leading Test wicket-taker with 431 wickets.
Rangana Herath – 9
Rangana Herath had a late wind to his career as Muralidaran occupied the lead spinner’s role in the Sri Lankan team. But Herath made great records and contributions toward the end of his career.
A left-arm spinner who was deadly on home pitches, Herath took 9 10-wicket match hauls in Test cricket. He had a total of 433 Test scalps and snapped up 34 five-wicket hauls.
R Ashwin – 8, Anil Kumble – 8
Indian legendary spinners R Ashwin and Anil Kumble are next on this list with 8 10-wicket match hauls each in Test cricket. Anil Kumble is India’s leading Test wicket-taker with 619 wickets at an average of 29 while Ashwin is second with 486 scalps at an average of 23. Kumble took 35 five-fers while Ashwin already has 34 five-fers.
