Top 10 Wicket Takers Test Cricket Has Ever Seen

Top 10 wicket takers Test cricket has ever produced?

Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan leads the list with 800 wickets. Shane Warne (708) and James Anderson (704) follow him.

Taking wickets in Test cricket is hard. Bowlers must bowl long spells. They must also beat batters over five days. That is why these numbers matter so much.

This guide covers the full list, the story behind each bowler, and what makes these records so special. It also looks at who could climb the table next. If you enjoy batting records too, see our lists of the top 10 run scorers in ODI cricket and the top 10 run scorers in T20 cricket.

Top 10 Wicket Takers in Test Cricket: Quick List

Here is the quick answer. Spin bowlers and fast bowlers both appear on this list.

Figures are correct after Australia’s August 2026 Test series against Bangladesh. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are still playing, so their totals will keep growing. Lyon passed McGrath during the 2025–26 Ashes. Starc moved into the top 10 in August 2026 by overtaking Dale Steyn (439). Check the latest count on the Howstat Test wickets table or ESPNcricinfo before you quote it.

Who Has the Most Wickets in Test Cricket?

Muttiah Muralitharan has the most wickets in Test cricket. He took 800 wickets in 133 Tests. He played from 1992 to 2010.

No one has come close to this number. The next best bowler is 92 wickets behind him. Many experts believe this record may stand for decades. Murali also holds the record for most international wickets across all formats, with 1,347, according to Guinness World Records.

Meet the Legends: Top 10 Wicket Takers Test Cricket Fans Still Talk About

Each bowler on this list had a different style. Yet all of them stayed fit, stayed sharp, and stayed hungry for years. Let’s look at them one by one.

1. Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets)

Murali had a unique bowling action. His wrist turned the ball both ways. Batters struggled to read him, even on flat pitches.

He took 67 five-wicket hauls. He also took 22 ten-wicket match hauls. Both are still records today.

2. Shane Warne (708 wickets)

Warne made leg-spin cool again. His “Ball of the Century” to Mike Gatting in 1993 is still famous. The ball pitched outside leg stump and clipped the off bail.

He played 145 Tests for Australia. He was also the first bowler to reach both 600 and 700 Test wickets. Beyond his skill, he planned every dismissal like a chess player. That made him a nightmare for rivals.

3. James Anderson (704 wickets)

Anderson is the top fast bowler on this list. He retired in July 2024 after a record 188 Tests. His career lasted more than 20 years.

His swing bowling was brilliant. He kept his fitness high into his 40s. That is very rare for a fast bowler.

4. Anil Kumble (619 wickets)

Kumble did not turn the ball much. Instead, he relied on pace, bounce, and accuracy. Batters often found him hard to line up.

In 1999, he took all 10 wickets in one innings against Pakistan in Delhi. Only two other bowlers have done this in Tests. He played 132 Tests across 18 years.

5. Stuart Broad (604 wickets)

Broad was a true match-winner. He often took wickets in quick bursts. His 8 for 15 against Australia in 2015 shows this perfectly.

He played 167 Tests. Along with Anderson, he formed one of the best bowling pairs in history.

6. Nathan Lyon (571 wickets)

Lyon is one of two active players in the top 10, along with Starc. He has not played white-ball internationals since 2019, and this focus on Tests has helped him last so long.

He debuted in 2011 and has played 143 Tests. His best innings figures are 8 for 50. He passed McGrath in December 2025 during the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, and he came back from hamstring surgery to play against Bangladesh in August 2026. He has shown that a steady off-spinner can thrive on any pitch.

7. Glenn McGrath (563 wickets)

McGrath bowled in one spot, again and again. That simple plan worked for 14 years. He retired in 2007.

He was the heart of Australia’s golden era. Few batters scored freely against him.

8. Ravichandran Ashwin (537 wickets)

Ashwin was a clever thinker with many tricks. He used the carrom ball, flight, and drift to fool batters. He also took 37 five-wicket hauls. With six Test hundreds, he was a strong batter too, which is why he features in debates on who is the best all-rounder in the world.

He retired in December 2024. India often relied on him in home Tests.

9. Courtney Walsh (519 wickets)

Walsh was a fast bowler with huge stamina. He was the first bowler to reach 500 Test wickets. He played with Curtly Ambrose for years, and together they scared many batting line-ups.

10. Mitchell Starc (445 wickets)

Starc is the newest name on the list. The left-arm quick made his Test debut in December 2011. In August 2026, he passed Dale Steyn and moved into 10th place. In the same series, he also went past Rangana Herath to become the leading left-arm wicket-taker in Test history.

His best figures are 7 for 58, and he has 19 five-wicket hauls from 107 Tests. His 6 for 12 against Bangladesh in Mackay in August 2026 was one of the great recent spells. At 36, he is still adding to the tally.

Just outside the top 10: Dale Steyn (439 wickets)

Steyn held the 10th spot until August 2026 and now sits 11th. He was one of the fastest and most feared bowlers of his time.

His strike rate was outstanding. He took a wicket every 42 balls or so. Few bowlers in history match that.

Spinners vs Fast Bowlers: What the Top 10 Wicket Takers Show

The list is evenly split.

• Spinners: Muralitharan, Warne, Kumble, Lyon, Ashwin (5 bowlers)
• Fast bowlers: Anderson, Broad, McGrath, Walsh, Starc (5 bowlers)

Spinners often play many Tests in Asia, where pitches help them. Fast bowlers put more strain on their bodies. That is why long careers are rare for them. Spin success in Asia is not limited to Tests. India’s spinners have also shaped the continental tournament, as our guide on how many times India won the Asia Cup shows.

This split also shows something simple. Test cricket rewards both skill and variety. There is no single way to take wickets.

What Makes a Great Test Wicket Taker?

Great bowlers share a few habits. These habits matter more than raw talent.

• Accuracy: They hit the same area ball after ball.
• Patience: They wait for the batter to make a mistake.
• Fitness: They bowl long spells without losing pace or control.
• Smart planning: They study each batter and set traps.
• Mental strength: They stay calm when the match slips away.

McGrath is the best example of accuracy. Anderson shows what fitness can do. Warne and Ashwin show the power of planning.

Why These Records Are So Hard to Break

Several factors make these totals tough to reach.

• Long careers: Most of these bowlers played for 15 years or more.
• Fitness: Bowling 20+ overs a day takes a toll on the body.
• Fewer Tests today: Teams now play more T20 matches than Tests. Fans who follow the shorter format can check when is the next T20 World Cup and how many T20 World Cups India has won.
• Workload rules: Many fast bowlers are rested to avoid injury.

Because of this, new bowlers will need rare skill and good luck. They must also avoid long injuries.

How Test Wickets Are Counted

Not every dismissal counts for the bowler. This is a common point of confusion.

A bowler gets credit for these dismissals:

• Bowled
• Caught
• LBW (leg before wicket)
• Stumped
• Hit wicket

A bowler does not get credit for run-outs. Retired out and obstructing the field also do not count. This is why a bowler’s total can differ from the team’s total.

Who Could Climb the Table Next?

Two active bowlers are already in the top 10, and both have targets ahead of them. Lyon is 33 wickets short of Broad (604). Starc needs 75 more to pass Walsh (519). Lyon is 38 and Starc is 36, so time is not on their side.

Behind them, Kagiso Rabada (340 wickets) and Pat Cummins (322) stand out. Rabada has one of the best strike rates in Test history, at about 39.5 balls per wicket. Still, both need years of fitness to reach 500 wickets. They also need teams that keep playing Tests. Watch their progress closely.

Lyon is the one to watch right now. He is still adding wickets. He could move higher up the table before he retires.

Why the Top 10 Wicket Takers Test Cricket Legends Still Inspire Fans

The top 10 wicket takers Test cricket has ever seen share one trait: patience. They bowled for years with skill, fitness, and focus.

Muralitharan’s 800 wickets look out of reach. Yet Starc’s arrival in the top 10 and Lyon’s ongoing climb show the table can still move. Follow the next series to see who rises up the table. Looking ahead to the big tournaments, you can also read when is the next cricket world cup.

For more on Lyon’s career numbers, see his Wikipedia profile.