India's 5 all-time highest wicket-takers vs England in Tests ft. Anil Kumble
India are all set to square off against England in an eagerly awaited five-match Test series starting at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday (January 25). Over the last few years, the Indian bowlers have been on a roll and have managed to take 20 wickets quite consistently.
While the batters tend to set up the game, the onus is always on the bowlers to get the job done for your team by picking all the wickets. In the last few years, there has been so much talk about the pitches that the brilliance and wicket-taking abilities of the bowler have gone out of the window somewhat.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel spun a web around the English batters when they toured India last time. Over the years, the Indian bowlers have managed to find massive success against England. It will be a massive challenge for the visitors to counter the spin threat on this tour as well.
With the opening Test slated to get underway in a few hours, let us have a look at the top five all-time highest wicket-takers for India against England in Tests:
#5. Kapil Dev - 85 wickets in 27 Tests
One of the greatest all-rounders to have graced the game, Kapil Dev comes fifth in the list of highest wicket-takers for India in Tests against England. Kapil knew a thing or two about taking wickets, finishing his career as the then-highest wicket-taker in Tests.
It was in 1979 when Kapil got his first chance to play against England. He picked 16 wickets in four Tests at an average of 30.93. Kapil had a pretty ordinary time when England toured India in 1981/82. While he did bag 22 wickets in six Tests, it came at an average of 37.95.
India travelled to England a few months later where Kapil returned with unimpressive figures. He could only bag 10 wickets in three Tests at an average of 43.90. While he continued picking wickets against England, his strike rate and average weren't something which Kapil would be very proud of.
#4. Bishan Singh Bedi - 85 wickets in 22 Tests
Often regarded as the greatest left-arm spinner to have played the game of cricket, Bishan Singh Bedi bagged 85 wickets in just 22 matches against England. A master at his work, Bedi used to deceive batters with his guile. A craftsman of flight, Bedi finished his Test career with 266 wickets.
In his first tour to England in 1967, Bedi bagged seven wickets in three Tests but kept the batters in check for the majority of the time. Bedi was a much-improved bowler when India travelled to England in 1971, when he scalped 11 wickets in three Tests with best figures of 6/111.
When England toured India a few months later, Bedi proved to be lethal and in the company of Chandrasekhar, the duo bagged 60 wickets between them. Bedi took 25 wickets in five Tests at an average of 25.28. Bedi continued his dream run against England, bagging a further 25 Tests when England toured India in 1976/77.
#3. Ravichandran Ashwin - 88 wickets in 19 Tests
One of the modern-day greats of the red ball game, Ravichandran Ashwin has been a consistent wicket-taker, especially in home conditions. In the 19 Tests he has played against England from 2012-2021, Ashwin has bagged 88 wickets at an average of 28.59 with six five-wicket hauls to his name.
The off-spinner was tested in his first Test assignment against England. He was taken to the cleaners for the majority of the season despite bagging 14 wickets in four Tests. Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott turned out to be his tormentors as Ashwin leaked runs all through the series.
When England travelled to India in 2016, Ashwin had emerged as one of the leading bowlers in the world and he did not harm his reputation. In the company of Ravindra Jadeja, the duo spun a web on the English batters. He bagged 28 wickets in five Tests but his best series against England came in 2021. He bagged 32 wickets in four Tests at an incredible average of 14.71.
#2. Anil Kumble - 92 wickets in 19 Tests
India's leading wicket-taker in Tests comes second in the list for most wickets among Indian bowlers against England. In 19 Tests he has played against England, Anil Kumble has scalped 92 wickets at an average of 30.59. One of the biggest match-winners India has produced in this format, Kumble made his Test debut against England back in 1990.
He only played in one Test and bagged three wickets. When England toured India in 1992/93, Kumble emerged as India's premier match-winner, bagging 21 wickets in three Tests at an average of 19.80. While Kumble didn't turn the ball much, his accuracy was his main weapon which helped him pick wickets in all conditions.
Kumble set up India's Test win at Leeds in 2002 and bagged 14 wickets in the three-Test series. In his final series against England in 2007, Kumble bagged 14 wickets and played a pivotal role in India's 1-0 series victory. His final Test series was against the Aussies in 2008.
#1. Bhagwat Chandrasekhar - 95 wickets in 23 Tests
One of the biggest match winners for India in overseas conditions, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar holds the record for most wickets for an Indian bowler in Tests against England. A polio attack left his right arm withered at the age of six but by the age of 10, he had recovered and started playing cricket.
He turned his withered hand into a magic wand as he delivered googlies and top spinners at a rapid pace, which often left batters bamboozled and scratching their head. It was his spell of 6/38 against England at the Oval in 1971 which gave India their maiden Test series win in England.
In his first-ever tour to England in 1963/64, Chandrasekhar took 10 wickets in four Tests and that was a sign for things to come. He bagged 16 wickets in three Tests during the tour of England in 1967. His breakthrough year was in 1971, when England toured India. He bagged a whopping 35 wickets in five Tests at an incredible average of 18.91.