The 4-Test series between India and Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will start on
February 9 in Nagpur. The second Test will be played in Delhi, followed by the third Test in
Dharamsala before the series concludes in Ahmedabad.
When did the Border-Gavaskar Trophy start?
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy was introduced in 1996. There have been a spate of bowlers whose name is registered in history across both teams. In this article, we look at the top 5 wicket-takers in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Unsurprisingly, the list is dominated by spinners.
Here are the top 5 wicket-takers in the BGT:
Anil Kumble
Former India skipper and legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble took 111 wickets at an average of
30 in 20 Test matches in the BGT against Australia.
Against the mighty Aussies, Anil Kumble, India’s leading Test wicket-taker, took 10 five-wicket
hauls with innings best of 8/141in 2004 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Harbhajan Singh
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh always brought out his best against the Australians.
In the BGT, Harbhajan Singh took 95 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 29. His best innings figures of 8/84 came against Australia in that epic 2001 series, in the third Test, in Chennai. Harbhajan Singh also took his Test hat trick against Australia in the historic
Kolkata 2001 Test match.
Nathan Lyon
The greatest off-spinner from Australia, Nathan Lyon has snapped up 94 wickets against India in
22 Tests at an average of 34. In the upcoming BGT 2023 series, Lyon will be aiming to add to his wickets tally and better his bowling average against India.
The 35-year-old who has taken 7 Test five-wicket hauls against India will be wanting to close
out his career with a Test series win in India, and he’d know that Australia’s chances will largely
depend on his bowling.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Man of the Series in the 2013 BGT in India and a significant part of India’s 2020/21 series win in Australia, R Ashwin has snared 89 wickets in 18 Tests against Australia at an average of 31.
The 36-year-old who is off-spinner is India’s second leading Test wicket-taker with 449 wickets,
has taken 5 five-wicket hauls against Australia, and has proven to be a nightmare for the Aussie
left-handers.
Ravindra Jadeja
In the BGT against Australia, Ravindra Jadeja has taken 63 wickets in 12 Tests at a terrific average of only 18, and that average is despite being a regular feature in the Tests in Australia. He’s played a supporting role to Ashwin in India, role to Ashwin in India, and to the pacers in Australia, and took 3 five-fers against the Aussies.
