Shining away: Top five Indian bowlers with most Test wickets outside India
Every cricketer is truly tested when he/she has to perform outside his comfort zone. Growing up on Indian pitches, the Indian bowlers are used to taking wickets on home tracks but it is outside India that their skills are truly put to test. Here are five Indian bowlers who have flourished the most on pitches outside India.
5. Harbhajan Singh – 152 wickets
The legendary off-spinner has more than 400 Test wickets to his name, out of which 152 have come outside the nation. His only 10-wicket haul out of India came in Galle where he claimed 10/153 against Sri Lanka. Harbhajan was extremely effective in West Indies and New Zealand. The off-spinner played 48 Tests away from the homeland.
4. Ishant Sharma – 202 wickets
The tall Indian pacer completed his 200 Test wickets outside India in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. In 2008, Ishant had announced himself on the world stage with an exceptional spell against Ricky Ponting in Perth. 61 of his 102 Tests have come outside India. His best innings performance 7/74 came at Lord’s against England in 2014.
3. Zaheer Khan – 207 wickets
Zaheer is the only left-arm bowler in this list. The pace bowler led India’s pace battery in away conditions and has produced some memorable performances. Zaheer relished bowling in English and New Zealand conditions. In 2007, he helped India win a Test series in England with 18 wickets in three Tests. Overall, he played 54 Tests outside India.
2. Kapil Dev – 215 wickets
India’s premier pace bowler 80s and 90s, Kapil Dev used to be a lone warrior. In 66 Tests, he managed to claim 215 wickets outside India. The bulk of his wickets were taken in Australia (51), Pakistan (44) and England (43). His best innings performance (8/85) was against Pakistan at Lahore in January 1983.
1. Anil Kumble – 269 wickets
With 619 wickets, Kumble is India’s number one wicket-taker in Test cricket. 269 of those wickets were taken on non-Indian pitches. Often India’s only spinner in alien conditions, Kumble had to hold one end up in less spin-friendly conditions. He has bowled more than 500 overs in Australia, England and South Africa. He featured in 69 Tests outside India, most by a specialist Indian bowler.
