List of bowlers who have taken 300 or more wickets in Test cricket

Muttiah Muralitharan has taken the highest number of wickets in Test cricket.^[1]

Taking 300 or more wickets across a playing career is considered a significant achievement in Test cricket.^[2][3][4] First accomplished in 1964 by Englishman Fred Trueman,^[5] as of March 2024^[update] the feat has been achieved by only 37 cricketers in the history of the game. Seven players from Australia and six players from India, five each from England and South Africa, four from New Zealand and the West Indies, and three each from Pakistan and Sri Lanka have crossed the 300-wicket mark in Tests. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland and Zimbabwe are yet to see a player reach the 300 mark.^[6]

As of March 2024, former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan has the highest aggregate with 800 wickets.^[6] He also holds the record for the most five-wicket hauls (67) and ten-wicket hauls in a match (22); his 16 wickets for 220 runs against England in 1998 is the fifth-best bowling performance by a player in a match.^[7][8][9] Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is the fastest to cross the 300-wicket mark (in 54 Tests),^[10] while the late West Indian player Malcolm Marshall has the best bowling average (20.94) among those who have achieved the milestone.^[11] Fellow West Indian Lance Gibbs is the most economical player with 1.98 runs per over, while South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has the best strike rate of 42.3 balls per wicket.^[6] India's Anil Kumble has the second-best bowling figures in an innings (10 wickets for 74 runs against Pakistan in 1999); they are the second-best in the history of Test cricket after English off-spin bowler Jim Laker's 10 for 53 (against Australia in 1956).^[12]

In 1990, Richard Hadlee became the first bowler to take 400 Test wickets,^[13] whilst in 2001, Courtney Walsh was the first to reach 500 wicket mark.^[14] Shane Warne was the first to take both 600 and 700 Test wickets, in 2005 and 2006 respectively.^[15][16] Warne's haul of 96 wickets in 2005 is the highest total in a calendar year, ahead of the 90 wickets taken the following year by Muralidaran, although he played fewer innings.^[17]

Key

• Mat. – Number of matches played
• Inn. – Number of innings bowled
• Balls – Balls bowled in career
• Runs – Runs conceded in career
• Wkts – Wickets taken in career
• Ave. – Average runs per wicket
• Econ. – Runs conceded per over
• SR. – Number of balls bowled per wicket taken
• BBI – Best bowling in an innings
• BBM – Best bowling in a match
• 5WI – Five or more wickets in an innings
• 10WM – Ten or more wickets in a match
• Period – Cricketing career of the player

Bowlers with 300 or more Test wickets

• Statistics are correct to 12 July 2024^[update].
• The list is initially sorted by the most wickets taken by a bowler. To sort this table by any statistic, click on the arrows next to the column title.

By team

See also

• List of Test cricket records
• List of bowlers who have taken 300 or more wickets in One Day International cricket

References

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