Top 10 Bowlers With the Most 10-Wicket Hauls in Test Cricket

Bowling in test cricket is not easy, as it requires patience and skills to dominate the opposition. Players who have performed well in test cricket are considered true masters of bowling. Their skills are often rated higher than those of shorter-format bowlers, including ODIs and T20Is. The reason is that these players have the capability to bowl longer spells without compromising anything on line and length.

Players who have picked the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket are considered special. It is certainly not an easy feat, because it requires top-class bowling in both innings of the match. This is the reason why the list of bowlers with the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket is not big. You can find only a limited number of names in this list, and those are not ordinary cricketers.

If you want to know about the best bowling performances in Tests, this blog will help you to find plenty of information. It will let you know about those bowlers who have taken the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket by showcasing remarkable consistency in bowling. Let’s take a look at their names below.

1. Muthiah Muralidaran

Muthiah Muralidaran is rated as one of the best spin bowlers of all time. His mastery with the ball is recognized by everyone, especially in the sub-continental conditions. Due to his exceptional wicket-taking abilities, he is the no.1 bowler who has taken the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket. His record of 22 ten-wicket hauls is by far the greatest in test cricket. This tells you a lot about the caliber of Muthiah Muralidaran who ruled test cricket for nearly 18 years from 1992.

Metric	Test
Matches	133
Wickets (total)	800
Bowling Average	22.73
10-wicket hauls	22
Economy Rate	2.48 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	55.05
Best Bowling in an Innings	9/51
5-wicket hauls (innings)	67

2. Shane Warne

In the list of bowlers with the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket, the name of Shane Warne comes in second position. He is the greatest leg spin bowler Australia has ever produced, as his numbers in test cricket are simply unbelievable. He took 10 ten-wicket hauls in his international test career by playing 145 matches in total. This is a remarkable achievement that shows why Shane Warne was so successful in test cricket.

Metric	Test
Matches	145
Wickets (total)	708
Bowling Average	25.41
10-wicket hauls	10
Economy Rate	2.65 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	57.4
Best Bowling in an Innings	8/71
5-wicket hauls (innings)	37

3. Richard Hadlee

The name of Richard Hadlee will always be written in golden words, as he is the only New Zealand bowler who took 9 ten-wicket hauls in test cricket. He became successful in test cricket due to his exceptional fast bowling skills. Many youngsters took inspiration from him, as his bowling style was very smooth and clean. He is still admired in modern cricket, with players recognizing the immense legacy Hadlee left in the game.

Metric	Test
Matches	86
Wickets (total)	431
Bowling Average	22.29
10-wicket hauls	9
Economy Rate	2.63 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	50.85
Best Bowling in an Innings	9/52
5‑wicket hauls (innings)	36

4. Rangana Herath

After the great Muthiah Muralidaran, Rangana Herath dominated Sri Lankan test cricket in terms of bowling. He was a specialist left-arm spinner who had great command on outfoxing the batters through varied spin and bounce. Due to this, he enjoyed a successful test career in which he picked 9 ten-wicket hauls in total. He retired from international cricket a few years ago, leaving a big gap of high-class spin bowling in the Sri Lankan lineup.

Metric	Test
Matches	93
Wickets (total)	433
Bowling Average	28.07
10‑wicket hauls	9
Economy Rate	2.80 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	60.0
Best Bowling in an Innings	9/127
5‑wicket hauls (innings)	34

5. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin is a top-class spinner who has taken the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket from India. It is one of those categories in which he equaled Anil Kumble, who is one of the most successful Indian bowlers in test format. The career of R Ashwin is simply phenomenal, describing why he was a key man for India in tests. He also retired from test cricket in 2024 after taking 537 wickets in the format.

Metric	Test
Matches	106
Wickets (total)	537
Bowling Average	23.91
10-wicket hauls	8
Economy Rate	2.83 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	50.68
Best Bowling in an Innings	7/59
5-wicket hauls (innings)	37

6. Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble also took 8 ten-wicket hauls in test cricket, however, he played more matches than Ashwin to register this record. He is the greatest Indian test bowler in terms of wickets, as took 619 wickets in the format by playing just 132 matches. This is the reason why the legacy of Kumble in Indian cricket is quite big. He is still admired by many youngsters in the country who want to become specialist leg spinners in test cricket.

Metric	Test
Matches	132
Wickets (total)	619
Bowling Average	29.65
10‑wicket hauls	8
Economy Rate	2.69 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	65.9
Best Bowling in an Innings	10/74
5‑wicket hauls (innings)	35

7. Sydney Barnes

Sydney Barnes was an English bowler who took 7 ten-wicket hauls in test matches. Many people do not know about this legend because he played in an era in which cricket itself was not popular in the world. However, Barnes created a legacy in the game that remains unmatched, even by England’s greatest bowler, James Anderson. This highlights the class of Barnes, who once dominated test cricket with his superb bowling skills.

Metric	Test
Matches	27
Wickets (total)	189
Bowling Average	16.43
10-wicket hauls	7
Economy Rate	2.36 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	41.65
Best Bowling in an Innings	9/103
5-wicket hauls (innings)	24

8. Clarrie Grimmett

Clarrie Grimmett was an Australian bowler who played in the same era in which Barnes represented England. After Shane Warne, he is another Australian bowler who took the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket. Unfortunately, his career was a bit short as he played only 37 matches for Australia. Taking 7 ten-wicket hauls in just 37 matches is still an enormous achievement that describes how special Clarrie was in test cricket.

Metric	Test
Matches	37
Wickets (total)	216
Bowling Average	24.21
10-wicket hauls	7
Economy Rate	2.16 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	67.2
Best Bowling in an Innings	7/40
5-wicket hauls (innings)	21

9. Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee is regarded as one of the legends of Australian cricket who inspired generations through his bowling skills. He was highly successful in test cricket, as he picked 355 wickets in the format at an average of 23.92 runs. He also took 7 ten-wicket hauls in his test career by ripping apart various batting lineups. He is still regarded as one of the best fast bowlers Australia has ever produced.

Metric	Test
Matches	70
Wickets (total)	355
Bowling Average	23.92
10-wicket hauls	7
Economy Rate	2.75 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	52.0
Best Bowling in an Innings	7/83
5-wicket hauls (innings)	23

10. Imran Khan

The legendary Pakistan captain, Imran Khan, has a huge legacy in world cricket. He was not just a superb bowler, but a leader who gave Pakistan many memorable victories. He picked 6 ten-wicket hauls in test cricket by playing 88 matches. Talking about his total wickets tally, Imran Khan picked 362 wickets in test cricket at an average of 22.81 runs. These are remarkable numbers that showcase the brilliance of the iconic Pakistan leader who still enjoys great admiration in the cricket world.

Metric	Test
Matches	88
Wickets (total)	362
Bowling Average	22.81
10‑wicket hauls	6
Economy Rate	2.54 runs/over
Strike Rate (balls per wicket)	53.75
Best Bowling in an Innings	8/58
5‑wicket hauls (innings)	23

Final Words

Taking ten-wicket hauls in test cricket is not easy, as it requires splendid bowling performance throughout the test match. Players who have taken the most 10-wicket hauls in test cricket are legends of the game who have played the format consistently. Their best bowling performances in tests are unmatchable, as no bowler from the current era looks close to them. This is the reason why beating their 10-wicket match records in tests is quite difficult, as they have earned this feat through consistent, spectacular performances.