Fewest matches to 100 Test wickets
People may feel Test cricket is tedious and boring, but it was and remains to be the most difficult format of the sport. In the modern era of cricket, where limited-overs cricket is prospering, it is difficult to imagine bowlers having an influence in Test cricket for a lengthy period of time. A bowler needs to have the required stamina and skill set so as to emerge on top.
However, even under challenging circumstances, cricket players frequently have an impact on the game and they raise the bar high by setting a few personal records. Even if a batter may score a lot of runs, it is often difficult for a bowler to succeed. And notably, most of the bowlers on the list of the fastest to 100 test wickets hail from earlier decades of the game.
On that note, let us look at bowlers who took the fewest number of matches to reach 100 Test wickets-
3. Ravichandran Ashwin (India)- 18 matches
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the only two active players in the top three. While playing his 18th Test match against the West Indies, Ashwin claimed his 100th wicket, thereby making his way into the elite list. The majority of records set in this unique list are by former cricketers, and Ashwin had achieved a huge feat. As of today, Ashwin has 442 wickets from 86 Test matches.
2. Charlie Turner (Australia), Sydney Barnes (England), Clarrie Grimmett (Australia), and Yasir Shah (Pakistan)- 17 matches
The legendary former Aussie Charlie Barnes holds the record of picking up the most consecutive five-wickets in an innings, tallying six. England’s Sydney Barnes, another legend of the game, holds the record for picking up the most wickets in a series, totalling 49. Former Aussie Clarence Grimmett joins his fellow Charlie Barnes in the unique list, alongside Pakistan’s Yasir Shah as all four took 17 games to reach 100 Test wickets.
1. George Lohmann (England)- 16 matches
Regarded as the toughest opponent by his contemporaries, former England cricketer George Lohmann scripted history by claiming his 100th Test wicket in just his 16th match. He was a prolific batter too. He played just 18 Test matches in his career that spanned between 1886 – 1896 but set a record that no one has managed to break for more than a century now.
