SA vs IND: Top five wicket-takers in South Africa-India Tests
26th December 2021 is a date that is eagerly awaited by the fans of the Indian cricket team. India’s three-match Test series against South Africa will commence on this date, and it promises to be a mouth-watering affair.
In the battles between the two sides, there have been bowlers who made the red cherry dance to their tunes and made the lives of batters miserable. In this article, let us take a look at the top 5 wickets takers in Tests played between India and South Africa.
5. Morne Morkel
South African pacer Morne Morkel is stationed at the 5th spot in this list. The tall pacer played 17 Test matches against India and scalped 58 wickets at an average of 26.41. Morkel also picked up a five-wicket haul in Tests against the Indian side.
Morkel played a total of 86 Tests in his career and took 309 wickets. He played his last Test match for the Proteas in the year 2018.
4. Harbhajan Singh
The fourth spot is taken by Harbhajan Singh. The right-arm off-spinner played 11 Tests against the South African side in his career and prized out 60 batters. Harbhajan averaged 28.40 with the red cherry against the Proteas and picked up 4 five-wicket hauls as well.
The right arm bowling legend featured in 103 Tests for the Indian side and picked up a colossal 417 wickets.
3. Javagal Srinath
Grabbing the third spot on the list is Javagal Srinath. Srinath boasts of a good record against South Africa in the whites and scalped 64 wickets in 13 Tests against the Proteas. Srinath picked up his wickets at an average of 24.48 and took 4 five-wicket hauls.
Srinath will go down as one of the greatest pacers to have played for India. He represented his country in 67 Test matches and picked up 236 scalps. He played his final Test for the Indian side in the year 2002.
2. Dale Steyn
South African bowling icon Dale Steyn is placed at the 2nd spot. Steyn boasts of a terrific record against India in Tests. The right arm tearaway pacer took 65 wickets against the Indian side in just 14 Tests and scalped his wickets at a superb average of 21.53.
He also picked up 5 five-wicket hauls against the Indian side. Steyn is the highest wicket-taker for the Proteas in Test cricket and scalped 439 batters in his illustrious career.
1. Anil Kumble
Bagging the top spot is Indian bowling colossus, Anil Kumble. Kumble played 21 Test matches against South Africa and picked up 84 wickets. The leg spinner scalped his wickets at an average of 31.79. He also picked up a fifer thrice against the Proteas in the whites.
Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for the Indian side in Test match cricket. The current 51-year-old picked up a staggering 619 wickets in 132 Tests for India. Kumble retired from the game in 2008.
