The second test match between India and England is all set to take place at the Lord's from 12 August 2021. The first test match between the teams had to end in a draw due to rain. India had a good chance of winning the first test match as they needed to score more 157 runs with 52-1 on the scoreboard. Lord's, the home of cricket will host the clash between both the teams and some incredible performances can be expected from the cricketers. In the first test match, Jasprit Bumrah made a terrific comeback after the WTC final against New Zealand. He scalped 9 wickets in the first test match and inscribed his name at the Trent Bridge Honours Board for the second time. Before the match starts tomorrow, let's take a look at the top 6 cricketers with the most test wickets at Lord's.

1. James Anderson

James Anderson, the veteran England pacer tops the list of most test wickets at Lord's. He accounts for 105 wickets at the Lord's. He is an integral team member and has proven himself as the best by working hard passionateely throughout the years. Without a second thought, he is the present best swing bowler in the world. In 2018, on day four of the second Test against India, he made the record of being the first cricketer with 100 wickets at the Lord's. One of his interesting facts is that he took his first five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe on his Test debut at The Lord's. Additionally, very recently he broke Anil Kumble's record of 619 test wickets and beacme the third in the world with 621 wickets just behind Muttiah Muralidharan and Shane Warne.

Read also: Most Wickets In Test Cricket : James Anderson

2. Stuart Broad

With 95 wickets at Lord's, Stuart Broad becomes the second highest wicket taker at Lord's. He made his test debut against Sri Lanka in 9 December 2007. The first few years of his career was very exciting but he had to to face some hard times after a few years. Everything is well that ends well and the same happened for him as well. He made a terrific comeback and took the England cricket team to another level. He was at his best form during the World Test Championship tournaments and picked up many wickets for the team. Sadly he suffered an injury in his calf during his training at Lord's and therefore will be missing the second test against India.

3. Ian Botham

Ian Botham, the best English all-rounder is the next cricketer on this list of most international wickets at Lord's. He is regarded as one of the best all rounders in cricket history. He made his test debut against Australia in 1997 and until his retirement, he scalped 69 wickets at Lord's. The former English cricketer had a great international career where he smashed thousands of runs and picked up five-wicket hauls 27 times and 10 wickets in a match 4 times. One of his best performances in the Lord's was 8 wickets against West Indies in 1984. Botham picked up 8 fifers at Lord's including his two best figures of 8/34 and 8/103.

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4. Fred Trueman

With 63 wickets at Lord's, Fred Trueman holds the 4th position on this list of most test wickets at Lord's. He made his test debut against India in 1952 and played till 1965. His last test match was against New Zealand hosted at Lord's. He is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket and was popularly known as "Fiery Fred". He had the appropriate combination of aggression and talent needed in a fast bowler. Because of his such qualities, he was described as "the greatest Yorkshireman" by Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister. One of his most remarkable performances at Lord's is his second fifer against Pakistan. In the 1962 test match against Pakistan he picked up his second 5-wicket haul at Lord's.

5. Bob Willis

The next cricketer on this list is Bob Willis, the former English fast bowler. In 1971, he made his test debut against Australia at Sydney cricket ground. He is acknowledged as one of the greatest ever English fast bowlers. In the 1977 Ashes series, he made his name in the Lord's Honours Board by taking 7 wickets for 78 runs. He scalped a total of 47 wickets at Lord's.

6. Brian Statham

Brian Satham holds the 6th position on this list with 45 wickets. He is undoubtedly one of the best fast bowlers of England and the giant of Lancashire cricket. The former English cricketer is well known for his accurate length and direction while bowling. He was widely regarded for his long spells but he did something astonishing against South Africa in 1995 at Lord's. Brian bowled one of the most herculean spells ever at the Lord's. He bowled continuously for 29 overs which resulted in 7 wickets for 39 runs.

Read also: Cricket Facts: Teams with Most ODI captains since 2017

The bowlers are an indispensable part of cricket, without them the game is incomplete. There are instances in cricket where bowlers have proved their worth by winning matches single-handedly. The game has seen some great bowlers since the day it started. So today we are gonna take a gaze at the players with the Most Wickets in Test Cricket, who have dominated the game in their time across all formats.

Most Wickets in Test Cricket

#1. Muttiah Muralitharan | 800 Wickets

Muttiah Muralitharan made his test debut for Sri Lanka against Australia in 1992. He had a unique bowling action among all spinners of the world. Muralitharan has played test cricket for 18 years (1992-2010). He played his last game against India at Galle and bagged 8 wickets in his farewell match.

Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in the history of test cricket. He has taken 800 test wickets in 133 test matches including 67 fifers. Yes, you heard it right he has 67 fifers, which is the most by any bowler in the history of test cricket. He had success against almost all the batsmen in the world.

#2. Shane Warne | 708 Wickets

Shane Warne is probably the best leg spinner the world has ever seen. His stats say it all, how he troubled all the batsmen of the world with his variations. He had even turned the ball from 3rd leg stump to the off stump. He was the man who could make the ball talk everywhere in this world.

Shane Warne played his first test in 1992 against India. In his debut match, he took only one cricket. But no one knew this man had the potential to pick up more than 700 wickets at the end of his career. Warne played his last test against England in 2007. He bagged two successes in his last test match. Warne's test cricket stat is jaw-dropping. He has grabbed 708 wickets in 145 test matches with 37 5-for. 

Read Also: Test Cricket Records: Most Sixes in Test

#3. James Anderson | 704 Wickets

English fast bowler James Anderson is the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of test cricket. James Anderson made his first appearance in test cricket in 2003 against Zimbabwe. He is known for his ability to swing the ball. He is called "Swing King", who can swing the ball both ways and make batsmen dance at a decent pace (135 km/hr). Jimmy took 704 wickets in 188 matches with 32 fifers. He is the only pace bowler to take the tally to 600. He took his retirement recently after the first test match of the 3-match test series against West Indies.

#4. Anil Kumble | 619 Wickets

Anil Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket and the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket with 619 wickets in 132 test matches. He has taken 35 five-wicket hauls in the longest format of the game.

Kumble made his Test debut in 1990 against England. He has played test cricket for India for 18 years. His last match was against Australia in 2008. Kumble holds the record for best bowling figure by a bowler in an innings in Test cricket 10/74, which came off against Pakistan in 1999 in Delhi. Anil would not spin the ball much and bowl with a bit of pace over 100 km/hr, it took batsmen 16-17 years to know he didn't spin the ball.

#5. Stuart Broad | 604 Wickets

The English paceman Stuart Broad made his test debut in 2007 against Sri Lanka. The Nottingham-born player represented England in 167 matches and took 604 wickets consisting of 20 fifers. He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in test cricket with 8 for 15 in the 2015 Ashes against Australia is his best figure. The England legend took his retirement in 2023 after the conclusion of the Ashes.

#6. Glenn McGrath | 563 Wickets

The Aussie legend has played 14 years of test cricket (1993-2007). Glenn made his test debut in 1993 against New Zealand. Mcgrath is the highest wicket-taker among the pace bowlers of Australia. He is known for his line, length, and swing. He has taken wickets in all places he has played. McGrath bagged 563 wickets in 124 test matches, while he crossed the mark of 5 wickets 29 times in test cricket. He has the best bowling average (21.6) among the top 10 highest wicket-takers.

Read Also: Test Cricket Records: Youngest to reach 10,000 Test runs

#7. Ravichandran Ashwin | 537 Wickets

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin occupies the 7th spot in terms of taking the most test wickets, with 537 wickets in 106 games maintaining a great average of 24.00. Ashwin has bagged 37 five-wicket hauls in his test career. He is a proper all-rounder with more than 3,000 runs to his name and six centuries in test cricket. He made his test debut in 2011 against West Indies and is the Indian with the second most test wickets.

Ashwin recently announced his retirement from international cricket on December 18, 2024 after the end of the third Test match against Australia in Brisbane.

Also Read: Breaking: Ravichandran Ashwin retires from international cricket

#8. Nathan Lyon | 533* Wickets

Another Australian great Nathan Lyon is now the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Tests. In 132 Tests, Lyon has taken 533* wickets so far at an average of 30.45. Moreover, he has recorded 24 fifers in 246 innings and a personal best of 8/50. Lyon overtook Courtney Walsh when he claimed four wickets against New Zealand at Wellington on March 1, 2024. 

#9. Courtney Walsh | 519 Wickets

Courtney Walsh is the only Caribbean player on the list. He is one of the best fast bowlers of all time especially of the 19th century. Walsh played his first test match in 1984 against Australia and ended his career as the highest wicket-taker of the West Indies with 519 wickets in 132 matches. He was also the highest wicket-taker among pacers in test cricket at the end of his career. He is the first bowler to take 500 wickets in the history of test cricket. 

Also Read: Cricket Records: Bowlers to take 10 wickets in an inning in test cricket

#10. Dale Steyn | 439 Wickets

Dale Steyn is the only South African bowler to be on this list, the 10th-highest wicket-taker overall. The African legend is probably the best fast bowler of this decade. He took 439 wickets in 93 matches in his 15 years of test career (2004-2019).

Dale Steyn's cricketing journey was full of injuries. But till the end of his Test career, he bowled with everything he got. He is the only bowler to take five wickets against each test-playing cricket nation in his time. He is the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Test cricket and has been in the number one place in the test ranking for 6 consecutive years (2008-2014). 

N.B: Last Updated on 18/12/2024.

The form of Indian cricket team's star batsman Virat Kohli is proving to be a matter of concern for Team India. After the poor performance in the three-match home series against New Zealand, India has a lot of expectations from its former captain. Kohli's record in Australia has been excellent. However, in the first innings of the Perth Test match, Virat has disappointed the team and his fans.

Also Read: Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Jasprit Bumrah breaks record with five-wicket haul in first test

Kohli dropped Labuschagne's catch

Virat Kohli played an innings of 5 runs in 12 balls and was out on the ball of Josh Hazlewood. Apart from this, Kohli also dropped the catch during Indian bowling. He dropped an easy catch of Marnus Labuschagne on the ball of Jasprit Bumrah. This brilliant ball found the edge of Labuschagne's bat, on which Kohli did not make much movement and dropped the ball in a hurry to take the catch.

Kohli dropped 29.6% of his catches

Virat is generally considered a good fielder but among the players who have got at least 100 chances since 2011, Kohli has the highest catches dropped percentages among Indian players. This figure also raises questions on Kohli's catching ability.

Kohli has dropped 29.6 percent of his catches in this period and only the England Test great James Anderson is ahead of him in terms of the catches dropped percentages. However, Anderson is a bowler who was never known for his fielding abilities. If we talk only about batsmen, then Virat Kohli has dropped the maximum number of catches since 2011.

Also Read: AUS vs IND Border-Gavaskar Trophy Day 1 report: India bounce back with bowlers with 17 wickets falling on Day 1

Kohli dropped the most catches in the last 5 years

From 2019 till now, Virat Kohli has been the number one Indian in terms of dropping catches. This trend has continued in all three formats of cricket. Kohli has dropped a total of 36 catches in international cricket since 2019. He has dropped 16 catches in Tests, 13 catches in T20I, and 7 catches in ODI format. 

Highest catches dropped percentages since 2011 | Min 100 chances

• 31.7% James Anderson
• 29.6% Virat Kohli
• 27.9% Alastiar Cook
• 25.7% Tim Southee

Test cricket, often regarded as the purest form of the game, has seen many remarkable bowlers who have left an indelible mark on the sport's history. Among their achievements, reaching the milestone of 500 wickets stands as a testament to their skill, consistency, and longevity. Let's delve into the elite group of bowlers who have reached fastest to 500 Test wickets.

Also Read: Most runs in International cricket for India

Fastest to 500 Test Wickets | Top 9 List

1. Muttiah Muralitharan | 144 Innings

The Sri Lankan spin wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan stands tall at the summit of the fastest to 500 Test wickets. Renowned for his mesmerizing spin and unorthodox action, the former Sri Lankan off-spinner achieved this feat in just 144 innings, setting an unparalleled benchmark in the history of the sport. This will be extremely difficult to cross for any bowler in the world.

Murali's 500th Test dismissal came against Australia in Kandy in 2004. He made his Test debut against the same opposition at RPS Colombo in 1992. Murali is also the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 800 wickets in 133 games.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin | 184 Innings

On February 16, 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin became the second fastest to 500 Test wickets. He beat Anil Kumble to become quickest Indian to reach this milestone. Ashwin dismissed Zak Crawley as his 500th scalp in third of the five-match test series between India and England in Rajkot. Ashwin became second Indian bowler to pick 500 wickets in this format of the game. Ashwin took only 184 innings to complete 500 wickets in Test cricket, which is overall second fastest by any bowler and fastest by an Indian bowler.

3. Anil Kumble | 188 Innings

India's legendary leg-spinner, Anil Kumble, possessed a plethora of variations and an astute cricketing brain. Kumble reached the milestone of 500 Test wickets in 188 innings, underlining his significance in India's bowling arsenal. He is still the leading wicket-taker for India in Test cricket with 619 scalps to his name. Kumble became third spinner and overall fifth bowler in 2006 to pick 500 wickets in Test cricket.

Anil Kumble's 500th Test scalp came against England in 105th match of his career in Mohali. Kumble made his Test debut against England at the Old Trafford in 1990 and went on to play 132 matches for India till 2008. He was one of the greatest match-winners for India in the longest format of the game.

4. Shane Warne | 201 Innings

Shane Warne, the Australian leg-spin maestro, is another legend of the cricket who reached fastest to 500 Test wickets. It took Warne 201 Test innings to achieve this feat. Depite playing more of his games on hard and bouncy Australian pitches, Warne picked up wickets at ease with his magical leg-spin.

Shane Warne picked up his 500th test wicket in his 108th game against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2004. Warne went on to finish his career with 708 test wickets in 145 games. He made his test debut against India at SCG in 1992. Sadly, Warne passed away in March 2022 aged 52.

5. Glenn McGrath | 214 Innings

Glenn McGrath, the lanky Australian paceman, established himself as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time with his sheer consistency and accuracy. McGrath's relentless line and length troubled batsmen across the globe, made him one of the bowlers who reached fastest to 500 Test Wickets. The 1.95m-tall pace bowler made a good use of his height and accuracy to pick up his 500 test wickets in just 214 Test innings.

Glenn McGrath's 500th test wicket came in a special Ashes Test against England at the Lord's played in iconic 2005 series. He made his Test debut against New Zealand at the WACA, Perth in 1993.

Also Read: Most International Hundreds among Active Players

6. Nathan Lyon | 230 Innings

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the the sixth bowler in the list of fastest to 500 Test wickets. Lyon had a terrific journey from a groundsman to a legendary off-spinner. He picked his 500th Test wicket against Pakistan at Optus Stadium in Perth on 14 December, 2023. Lyon took 230 inings to reach this special milestone in his career.

Nathan Lyon made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2011. He is third Australian bowler to pick up more than 500 test wickets.

7. Courtney Walsh | 236 Innings

Courtney Walsh, the towering West Indian fast bowler, left an indelible mark on the world of cricket with his menacing pace and bounce. Walsh's ability to generate steep bounce from any surface made him a feared adversary for batsmen around the world. It took Walsh 236 Test innings to reach the milestone of 500 Test wickets. He achieved this landmark figure against South Africa at Port of Spain in 2001. Across his test career from 1984-2001, Walsh played 132 matches for West Indies and picked up 519 scalps.

8. James Anderson | 242 Innings

James Anderson, England's premier fast bowler, is widely regarded as one of the finest exponents of swing bowling in the modern era. His ability to move the ball both ways at brisk pace enabled him to join the elite club of 'fastest to 500 Test wickets' list. Anderson achieved this milestone in 242 Test innings. His 500th test wicket came against West Indies at Lord's on 7th September, 2017. Anderson made his test debut against Zimbabwe in 2003 at the Lord's.

9. Stuart Broad | 258 Innings

Stuart Broad, the English fast bowling stalwart, etched his name in the annals of cricket history by joining the elite list of 'fastest to 500 Test wickets'. Broad's ability to seam and swing the ball at pace made him a potent weapon in England's bowling arsenal. It took Broad 258 innings to achieve this milestone. Broad picked his 500th test wicket against West Indies at Old Trafford in July 2020. 

Stuart Broad made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at SSC, Colombo in 2007 and went on to play 167 test matches for England during his career. In his career of 167 matches from 2007 to 2023, Broad picked up 604 wickets for his nation. Broad called time on his international career in 2023 after the Ashes series at home.

The fourth test of the oldest rivalry in cricket is all set to begin at the iconic Old Trafford, Greater Manchester from July 19. The third match of the Ashes 2023 was much hyped and interesting. It went through to the very last day. Australia won the first two Tests and were on the verge of retaining the Ashes before England bounced back to win the third Test to keep the series alive. It was another cracker of a contest at Headingley in Leeds.

Mitchell Marsh smashed a brilliant century for Australia. Ben Stokes led from the front to help England get closer to Australia's first-inning total of 263. The Aussies set a target of 251 for the hosts. Harry Brook played an impressive knock of 75 to help England chase down the total with three wickets in hand. Mitchell Starc scalped a fifer but it couldn't stop England from registering their first victory at the Ashes 2023 series. England would be desperate to make another comeback and equal the series.

Read Also: Saud Shakeel scores a double century as Pakistan are in the lead by 135 runs over Sri Lanka after the end of Day 3

The Ashes 2023: England vs Australia 4th Test

Match Details

• Match: England vs Australia 2nd Test
• Date: 19/07/2023 – 23/07/2023
• Time: 3:30 PM IST
• Venue: Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Greater Manchester
• Where to watch: Sony Sports Network & Sony LIV app

Venue | Pitch Report | Weather

The pitch at the Emirates Old Trafford will most likely favor batters. It is dry naturally and we can expect the spinners will come into play as the game progresses. The pacers may get some assistance from the surface with the new ball and the batters will have to be on their toes early in their innings. There will not be huge totals. Lower scores, with an average of 225 in the third innings and 168 in the fourth innings can be expected.

There is a 40% chance of rain predicted on the opening day of the fourth Test in Manchester. The temperature is expected to be below 20 degrees Celsius. Also, there is heavy rain predicted on the final two days of the Test.

England vs Australia | Head to Head

• Matches Played: 359
• ENG won: 111
• AUS won: 152
• Drawn: 96

Read Also: James Anderson will be back for the fourth Ashes Test

The Ashes 2023: England vs Australia | Team News

England

Harry Brook will remain at number five while Moeen Ali will come to bat at no 3 just like he did in the Headingley. Anderson, who has the third-highest number of Test wickets of all time, was dropped for the third Test after taking just three wickets for 226 runs in the first two matches of the series. Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, and Stuart Broad will be in the rest of the bowling lineup, alongside Anderson.

Wood and Woakes both made their first appearance in the series in the third Test match and had a brilliant outing. Wood took seven wickets and scored 40 runs off 16 balls in the match, while Woakes took six and scored 42 including the winning runs. England will hope that Anderson is able to get back to the rhythm at his home ground during the fourth Ashes Test.

Australia

There are no other changes to the team with the rest eight keeping their places. Also, this will be the first time in 11 years that an Australian cricket team will play a Test match without a specialist spinner in their ranks. The last time this happened was when the Aussies faced India at the WACA in January 2012.

The visitors have loads of batters for the 4th Test at Old Trafford. Green is listed to bat at seven, which might push wicket-keeper batter Alex Carey to eight. This will be followed by Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. Australia have players who can bat until ten, where Starc might come.

England vs Australia | Possible XI

England: 

• Zak Crawley
• Ben Duckett
• Harry Brook
• Joe Root
• Jonny Bairstow (wk)
• Ben Stokes (c)
• Moeen Ali
• Chris Woakes
• Mark Wood
• Stuart Broad
• James Anderson

Australia:

• David Warner
• Usman Khawaja
• Marnus Labuschagne
• Steven Smith
• Travis Head
• Cameron Green
• Mitchell Marsh
• Alex Carey (wk)
• Pat Cummins (c)
• Mitchell Starc
• Josh Hazlewood

The Ashes 2023: England vs Australia | Dream XI Team Prediction

England have recalled the veteran, James Anderson for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford on Wednesday. He will replace Ollie Robinson for the important test match. It is the only change from the side that won the third Test to reduce Australia's series lead to 2-1 with two to play. England have to win both matches from here to win the series on home soil. One more win for Australia will see the visitors win the series in England for the first time since 2001.

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Harry Brook will remain at number five while Moeen Ali will come to bat at no 3 just like he did in the Headingley. Anderson, who has the third-highest number of Test wickets of all time, was dropped for the third Test after taking just three wickets for 226 runs in the first two matches of the series.

Brook played a significant part in England's run chase, where he scored 75 off 93 balls to shepherd the side to victory. Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, and Stuart Broad will be in the rest of the bowling lineup, alongside Anderson.

Wood and Woakes both made their first appearance in the series in the third Test match and had a brilliant outing. Wood took seven wickets and scored 40 runs off 16 balls in the match, while Woakes took six and scored 42 including the winning runs. England will hope that Anderson is able to get back to the rhythm at his home ground during the fourth Ashes Test.