5 bowlers who excelled in Test cricket but never took a 5-wicket haul in white-ball cricket ft. R Ashwin
Test cricket is often considered to be the purest and toughest format of the game. It takes utmost dedication, skill, and perseverance to succeed in this format. Over the years, several players showcased their exceptional skills in the longest format of the game, establishing themselves among greats and making their mark on the international stage.
When it comes to bowlers, several greats have excelled in Test cricket such as Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and so on. These bowlers have bagged a plethora of wickets in the longest format. There have been many bowlers who have been equally successful in red-ball and white-ball cricket.
However, some well-known and exceptional bowlers have had immense success with the red ball, picking multiple five-wicket hauls. However, they failed to pick up a five-wicket haul in white-ball cricket.
On that note, here are five such bowlers who have successful records with the red-ball but never bagged a five-fer in the shorter formats.
5 bowlers who excelled in Test cricket but never took a 5-wicket haul in white-ball cricket
#5 Nathan Lyon
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is among the best spinners in Test cricket at the moment. The 37-year-old made his debut in the longest format for Australia in 2011 against Sri Lanka and rose through the ranks to be one of their top performers with the red ball.
Lyon has 533 wickets in the longest format from 132 matches at an average of 30.45 and an economy rate of 2.93. He is known for picking up wickets in heaps, grabbing 24 five-wicket hauls in his career so far (stats as of December 21, 2024).
However, as great as Lyon is with the red ball, the off-spinner failed to establish himself with the white ball. From 29 ODIs, he managed to pick up just 29 wickets with best figures of 4/44. He has played just two T20Is, claiming just a solitary wicket. Therefore, he does not have a single five-fer in white-ball cricket.
#4 Ishant Sharma
Indian pacer Ishant Sharma is remembered for some of his exceptional performances in Test cricket, particularly his spells in Australia and England. He has troubled some of the best batters ever and also gotten the better of them throughout his career.
Ishant is among India's most successful fast bowlers in the longest format with 311 wickets at an average of 32.40, including 11 five-wicket hauls as well. The right-arm pacer also made 80 ODI appearances for India, claiming 115 wickets with best figures of 4/34. He came close to picking up a five-wicket haul six times, but failed to do so, ending with six four-fers in ODIs.
Ishant played only 14 T20Is for India, picking up eight wickets with best figures of 2/34.
#3 Malcolm Marshall
West Indian legend Malcolm Marshall was among the greatest and most feared pacers of his time. He had an exceptional record in Test cricket, claiming as many as 376 wickets from just 81 matches at an average of 20.94 and strike rate of 46.7.
Marshall grabbed as many as 22 five-wicket hauls with the red ball for the West Indies. The late 42-year-old also had a successful ODI record, having picked up 157 wickets from 136 games at an average of 26.96 and a strike rate of 45.7.
Marshall came close to picking a five-wicket haul six times in ODIs but ended with a four-wicket haul on each occasion. His best figures in one-day cricket remain 4/18.
#2 Ian Botham
Legendary former English cricketer Ian Botham is probably among the greatest all-rounders to have ever played the game.
He played 102 Tests for England and amassed 5200 runs with 14 centuries. Botham was also a right-arm medium pacer and had an equally brilliant record with the ball, accounting for as many as 383 wickets at an average of 28.40 with 17 four-wicket and 27 five-wicket hauls.
Botham made a vital contribution for England in ODIs as well, playing 116 matches. He scored 2113 runs and picked up 145 wickets. The now 69-year-old managed to bag 3 four-wicket hauls in ODIs but could not pick up a fifer.
#1 R Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket mid-way through the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 series, ended his career as the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests for India, only behind Anil Kumble.
Ashwin bagged 537 wickets, establishing himself among the greatest spinners across the globe. With an average of 24 and an economy rate of 2.83, Ashwin claimed 37 five-wicket hauls for India with the red ball.
While he was mighty successful in the longest format, the off-spinning all-rounder may not have reached the same level in white ball cricket. He played 116 ODIs and picked up 156 wickets while he grabbed 72 wickets from 65 T20Is. Both formats combined, Ashwin claimed 3 four-wicket hauls but never managed a fifer.