3 highest wicket-takers for India against England in Test cricket
India and England are all set to lock horns in a 4-Test series, which is spread across two venues in Chennai and Ahmedabad.
Spinners are expected to find assistance at these grounds, and historically, India's slower bowlers have enjoyed great success against England. Among the current team, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma are the country's highest wicket-takers against England with 56 scalps each, while Ravindra Jadeja (who is currently injured) has 45.
The trio is still way behind the bowlers on this list, with the player at #1 having taken almost a century of wickets against the opposition. Here are the 3 Indian bowlers who've taken the most Test wickets against England.
#3 Kapil Dev & Bishan Singh Bedi - 85 wickets
Tied for third place with 85 wickets each are former Indian skippers Kapil Dev and Bishan Singh Bedi.
Dev managed this feat in 27 Test matches at a bowling average of 37.34, with four 5-wicket hauls to his name. Strangely for a pacer, his bowling average was lower in India (35.45) than in England (39.18).
Bedi, on the other hand, took these wickets in just 27 Tests at a bowling average of 29.87, with an equal number of 5-fors. He was distinctly more successful at home - 50 wickets at 24.12 compared to 35 wickets at 38.08.
#2 Anil Kumble - 92 wickets
India's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, Anil Kumble dismissed 92 England batsmen over the course of his glorious career. He accomplished this feat in just 19 Tests, with a bowling average of 30.59 and four 5-wicket hauls to his name.
Kumble, like any other spinner, was far more successful at home. The leggie took 56 wickets at home at 23.64, and 36 wickets in England at 41.41. Although he had his struggles with the ball overseas, his only Test hundred came at The Oval in London.
#1 B.S. Chandrasekhar - 95 wickets
A surprise entrant at #1 on this list, B.S. Chandrasekhar scalped 95 wickets against England in just 23 matches at an average of 27.27, which was lesser than his career bowling average of 29.74.
Chandrasekhar recorded as many as eight 5-wicket hauls against England, with best innings figures of 8/79. Understandably, he was far more successful in India (64 wickets at 24.03) than in England (31 wickets at 33.96).
Chandrasekhar made his debut against England in 1964. He won Wisden's Best Bowling of the Century award for his spell of 6/38 against the same opposition in 1971, which was the year India recorded their famous series triumph.
Chandrasekhar's record against England can be expected to stand the test of time, with red-ball matches becoming fewer in number and no Indian bowler close to breaking the record at the moment.