Most Wickets in Test Cricket — All-Time Bowling Records 2026

Bowling in Test cricket demands extraordinary skill, endurance, and consistency. To take wickets across five-day matches on all types of pitches, in all conditions, against batters who have had hours to set themselves — that is the ultimate bowling challenge in sport. The players on this list are not just great bowlers; they are generational talents who redefined what was possible with ball in hand. Here is the complete all-time ranking of Test cricket's greatest wicket-takers.

The All-Time Test Wicket-Takers Table

Rank	Player	Country	Tests	Wickets	Avg	SR	BBI	BBM
1	Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	133	800	22.72	55.0	9/51	16/220
2	Shane Warne	Australia	145	708	25.41	57.4	8/71	12/128
3	James Anderson	England	188	700+	26.45	56.8	7/42	11/71
4	Anil Kumble	India	132	619	29.65	65.9	10/74	14/149
5	Stuart Broad	England	167	604	27.68	56.4	8/15	11/121
6	Glenn McGrath	Australia	124	563	21.64	51.9	8/24	10/27
7	Courtney Walsh	West Indies	132	519	24.44	57.8	7/37	13/55
8	Kapil Dev	India	131	434	29.64	63.9	9/83	11/146
9	Richard Hadlee	New Zealand	86	431	22.29	50.8	9/52	15/123
10	Wasim Akram	Pakistan	104	414	23.62	54.6	7/119	11/110
11	Dale Steyn	South Africa	93	439	22.95	42.3	7/51	11/60
12	Harbhajan Singh	India	103	417	32.46	68.5	8/84	15/217
13	Rangana Herath	Sri Lanka	93	433	28.07	62.2	9/128	14/184
14	Jasprit Bumrah	India	45+	200+	19.8+	45.0+	6/27	9/86
15	Kagiso Rabada	South Africa	70+	310+	22.5+	46.5+	7/112	11/150

Stats current as of April 2026. Active player figures are approximate.

Muttiah Muralitharan — The 800-Wicket Man

Muttiah Muralitharan is the greatest wicket-taker in Test cricket history and, by consensus, one of the two or three greatest bowlers who ever lived. His 800 wickets came from 133 Tests — a stunning rate of just over six wickets per match that reflects not just volume but relentless effectiveness. His off-spin, delivered with an extraordinary wrist action that generated turn from both hard and turning surfaces, left batters around the world bewildered for nearly two decades.

His best bowling innings of 9/51 against Zimbabwe remains one of the finest individual bowling displays in cricket history. He is the only bowler to have taken 800 Test wickets, and he stands 92 wickets ahead of second-placed Shane Warne — a gap that represents roughly a full calendar year of elite-level bowling.

Shane Warne — The Greatest Leg-Spinner

Shane Warne's 708 wickets represent a performance that most observers consider more technically magnificent than Muralitharan's, even if the numbers are lower. Leg-spin is the hardest bowling discipline in cricket, and Warne mastered it so completely that he redefined the art form. His 8/71 against England and countless Ashes series performances elevated him to the status of a cultural icon beyond cricket.

Warne retired in 2007 after the Ashes series in Australia with exactly 708 wickets. The tragic news of his death in March 2022 robbed cricket of one of its greatest voices, but his record will ensure his name remains a permanent fixture at the top of this list.

James Anderson — England's Swing King Crosses 700

James Anderson of England is the only active player in the top three of this list and the highest wicket-taker among pace bowlers in Test history. Crossing 700 Test wickets was a milestone that placed him ahead of Anil Kumble and into third place on the all-time list. His ability to move the ball both ways at pace on English conditions — and increasingly on foreign surfaces — has made him indispensable to England for nearly two decades.

Anderson's average of 26.45 is remarkable for a fast bowler who has played hundreds of Tests, and his longevity through his late thirties is one of the stories of the modern era. He has announced plans to continue into 2026, meaning his final tally is still unknown.

Anil Kumble — India's Greatest Bowler

Anil Kumble's 619 wickets include one of cricket's most famous individual bowling performances: 10/74 against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999, the only instance of a bowler taking all 10 wickets in a Test innings in the modern era. His leg-spin was less flamboyant than Warne's but extraordinarily economical and consistent, and he was India's attack leader across the 1990s and 2000s.

Stuart Broad — England's Second 600-Wicket Bowler

Stuart Broad's 604 wickets place him fifth all-time and second among England bowlers — just behind his long-time new-ball partner James Anderson. His 8/15 against Australia in the 2015 Ashes remains the standout individual bowling performance of the 21st century by a pace bowler in Test cricket.

Glenn McGrath — The Precision Machine

Glenn McGrath's 563 wickets came at an average of just 21.64 — the best average among any bowler with 300+ wickets on this list. McGrath bowled on the same corridor relentlessly, extracting movement from surfaces that appeared flat, and he was the cornerstone of Australia's dominant Test bowling attack across four consecutive Ashes series wins.

Active Players to Watch

Jasprit Bumrah of India is the most exciting bowling prospect on this list. His average below 20 across 45+ Tests is the best of any Indian bowler in history, and his ability to deliver at pace with reverse swing and yorkers makes him lethal in all conditions. At 30 years old in 2026, he realistically has 7-8 years of Test cricket ahead. If he stays fit, 400+ wickets is achievable. Check his latest performances at /player/jasprit-bumrah.

Kagiso Rabada of South Africa has 310+ wickets at a pace and quality that places him firmly in the conversation for one of the greatest South African bowlers of all time. Dale Steyn's record of 439 wickets is a realistic target for Rabada if he avoids serious injury.

Pat Cummins of Australia has been among the world's best Test bowlers for several years and should finish his career well past 300 wickets.

Comparing the Legends

What separates Muralitharan and Warne from everyone else is the margin. 800 and 708 are numbers that stand apart from the field. Glenn McGrath at 563 and Anil Kumble at 619 were also extraordinary — but they belong to a separate tier that highlights just how dominant the top two were.

For cricket fans who want to understand technical terms like bowling average, economy rate, and strike rate, visit our cricket glossary.

For IPL 2026 bowling numbers on these players' IPL teams, see our IPL 2026 Stats page.

FAQ

Who has the most wickets in Test cricket? Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka holds the record with 800 Test wickets from 133 matches, at an average of 22.72. He retired in 2010 and his record has not been broken.

Is Muttiah Muralitharan the greatest bowler of all time? By wickets alone, yes — Muralitharan is the all-time leader with 800. However, Shane Warne (708 wickets) is rated by many cricket experts as the most skilled and influential bowler ever, given the complexity of leg-spin. Both men are universally regarded as the two greatest bowlers in cricket history.

Who is the closest active bowler to Muralitharan's record? James Anderson of England leads all active Test bowlers with 700+ wickets, placing him third all-time. No current active bowler is projected to challenge Muralitharan's record of 800 wickets within the next decade.

Which pace bowler has the most Test wickets? James Anderson of England leads all pace bowlers with 700+ Test wickets, surpassing Glenn McGrath's previous record of 563. Anderson is the only fast bowler to reach 700 Test wickets in history.