Stats: Top 10 Test wicket-takers for India in Australia
While it can be argued that Australia is a dream place to be for a fast bowler, Indians have not enjoyed notable success barring a few names down under.
Not surprisingly, Kapil Dev leads the Indian wicket-takers list with 51 scalps in 21 innings, conceding 24.58 runs per dismissal. The all-rounder has registered five 5-wicket hauls in the country.
The second place goes to the leg-spinner Anil Kumble. Utilizing the bounce on the wicket, the leggie has captured 49 wickets. However, an average of 37.73 is not that impressive.
Members of the spin quartet – Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar take the next three places with 35, 31 and 29 wickets, respectively. Ajit Agarkar, who bowled a match-winning spell of 6/41 in the famous Adelaide Test of 2003, comes 6th on the list.
Javagal Srinath, considered to be one of the best pacers produced by the Asian side, comes 10th with a poor average of 50.70 and a forgettable strike rate of 98.1. People who saw the Mysore Express perform down under would definitely say that he was unlucky, having put in some good spells of fast bowling.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | BBI | BBM | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapil Dev | 11 | 21 | 51 | 24.58 | 61.5 | 8/106 | 8/109 | 5 |
| Anil Kumble | 10 | 18 | 49 | 37.73 | 65.3 | 8/141 | 12/279 | 4 |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | 7 | 14 | 35 | 27.51 | 68.3 | 5/55 | 10/194 | 3 |
|
Erapalli Prasanna |
8 | 15 | 31 | 31.12 | 82.6 | 6/104 | 8/218 | 2 |
| Bhagwath Chandrasekhar | 7 | 13 | 29 | 30.27 | 67.4 | 6/52 | 12/104 | 3 |
| Ajit Agarkar | 7 | 13 | 27 | 35.07 | 58.4 | 6/41 | 8/160 | 1 |
| Zaheer Khan | 7 | 11 | 25 | 35.08 | 58.0 | 5/95 | 7/130 | 1 |
| Shivlal Yadav | 5 | 9 | 23 | 28.13 | 76.9 | 5/99 | 8/118 | 1 |
| Karsan Ghavri | 6 | 11 | 21 | 30.52 | 57.8 | 5/107 | 7/138 | 1 |
| Javagal Srinath | 8 | 15 | 20 | 50.70 | 98.1 | 4/130 | 4/175 | 0 |
*Stats updated till 24 November 2014