5 most successful Test bowlers in this century

Bowling in Test matches is an art that requires perseverance along with tremendous skill. You can possess an unsurmountable amount of skill, but without the patience of a monk, one will most definitely find it tough in the longest form of the game. 

But few bowlers have found it relatively easier to penetrate the shields of stubborn batters in red-ball cricket over the last two decades. Here’s a look at the five most successful bowlers in Tests since the turn of the century.

5. Ravichandran Ashwin (442 wickets)

Ravi Ashwin is one of the most street-smart cricketers to have ever played the game. The tall off-spinner from Chennai made the mark in the limited-overs cricket before taking red-ball cricket by storm. Ashwin struggled initially but found his rhythm when he stuck to his traditional off-spinning deliveries. The spinning sensation from India is the secnd fastest to 400 wickets in Tests, behind the great Muttiah Muralitharan

4. Dale Steyn (439)

Dale Steyn would have been much higher on this list had it not been for injuries in the latter stages of his career. The aggressive right-arm pacer was a nuisance for batters throughout his career with his rapid speed and seam movements. Regarded as one of the greatest all-format bowlers in cricket, Steyn has the best bowling strike rate in Tests among bowlers with 250+ wickets in the format. 

3. Muttiah Muralitharan (498 wickets)

Arguably one of the greatest bowlers ever to have graced the game of cricket, Muttiah Muralitharan is the third name on this elite list. The Sri Lankan off-spinner retired from cricket in 2011 after 19 memorable years with an astounding 1347 International wickets to his name. The off-spinner is also the highest wicket-taker in Test and ODI history, with 800 and 534, respectively.

2. Stuart Broad (541 wickets)- England

The secnd highest wicket-taker in the 21st century is England’s fast bowling spearhead Stuart Broad. Indian fans remember Broad as the baby-faced blonde who was hit for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh in 2007, but ever since, the Nottingham man has established himself as one of the fiercest bowlers of the modern era representing England 154 times in Tests.

1. James Anderson (646 wickets)

England’s James Anderson is just weeks away from turning 40, but he is still outperforming some of the best young bowlers of the modern era. The Englishman is the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history, only behind the legendary Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. Anderson’s biggest asset is his ability to swing the new ball, and with the Dukes’ ball in hand and the clouds looming large in England, Anderson’s bowling is a sight to behold.