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A year full of cricketing drama and engaging encounters has almost come to an end. 2024 turned out to be a fascinating year for the enjoyers of cricket's longest format. From veteran cricketers to breakout stars, this year gifted us some enriching performances to be recalled for a long.
Along with some supreme performers with the bat, we have also witnessed countless magnificent performances with the red ball across the year.
In this special article, Sportz Point aims to cultivate those cricketers who have bagged the most Test wickets in 2024.
1. Jasprit Bumrah | 71 wickets
Jasprit Bumrah ensured his dominance in the bowling charts across every format of the game this year. The Indian pacer tops the list with a career-best annual tally of 71 wickets in just 13 Tests in 2024.
Bumrah’s 71 wickets is now the fifth most by an Indian bowler in a calendar year, a list led by Kapil Dev, who picked 75 wickets in 18 matches in 1983.
The 31-year-old bowler recorded his best spell of the year in the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam as he picked up 6 wickets for just 45 runs in 15.5 overs.
2. Gus Atkinson | 52 wickets
Gus Atkinson emerged as one of the fiercest faces of the English bowling attack in Tests. The 26-year-old all-rounder collected 52 wickets in only 11 Tests across the year.
Surprisingly, Atkinson made his Test debut with England only in July but made the start memorable in the best possible way. Atkinson bagged a seven-wicket haul in his first outing for England in the first Test against West Indies at Lords.
Atkinson also became the first pacer since 1996 to pick up ten wickets on a Test debut.
3. Shoaib Bashir | 49 wickets
The 21-year-old spinner is another surprising breakout star in Tests this year. Making his debut against India in February, Shoaib Bashir bagged an impressive 49 wickets in 15 Tests throughout the year.
Bashir broke a unique record set by the likes of James Anderson and Bill Voce, becoming the first English bowler to grab two fifers in a Test at the age of 21 during the fifth and final Test against India in March.
The off-spinner recorded his career-best figure in Tests after picking up 5 wickets for 41 runs in the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge.
4. Matt Henry | 48 wickets
Matt Henry breaks into the list with 48 wickets in only 9 Tests across the year to establish himself as the most dependable bowler for New Zealand in red-ball cricket.
The Kiwi veteran clinched an unbelievable fifer in the first Test against India with a 5-15 figure, maintaining an economy rate of only 1.10!
The 33-year-old pacer also picked up 7 wickets during the second Test against Australia at Christchurch, making the record of the best bowling figures (23-4-67-7) by a Kiwi speedster at home.
5. Ravindra Jadeja | 48 wickets
Ravindra Jadeja may have had a shaky year with the Indian team struggling in Tests, but the veteran bagged 48 wickets in 12 matches across the year.
The 36-year-old spinning all-rounder completed the 300-wicket mark in Tests during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. He became the seventh Indian cricketer to claim 300 wickets in Test cricket, as well as the fourth-fastest (73 matches) to reach 300 wickets, following R. Ashwin (54 matches), Anil Kumble (66), and Harbhajan Singh (72).
Jadeja also became the fifth-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 312 wickets during the third Test against New Zealand in November, surpassing greats such as Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.
6. Prabath Jayasuriya | 48 wickets
Prabath Jayasuriya has etched his name as one of the most surprising bowlers this year. The Sri Lankan cricketer accumulated 48 wickets in 9 matches throughout the year,
Marking his Test debut in 2022, the 33-year-old spinner achieved the 100-wicket mark in just 17 matches to become the second-quickest player to take 100 Test wickets, a list led by England's George Lohmann who did so in 16 matches in 1886.
Prabath Jayasuriya also became the 10th left-arm spinner in the world to take 10 or more five-wicket hauls in Test cricket after picking 5 for 129 during Sri Lanka's second Test against South Africa in December.
7. Ravichandran Ashwin | 47 wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin finished the year with 47 wickets in 11 matches before announcing his retirement from international cricket in December during India's tour of Australia.
The veteran Indian spinner recorded his best bowling figure this year during the first Test against Bangladesh in September. Ashwin grabbed six wickets for 88 wickets in the second innings.
The 38-year-old called time on his international career but left the ring on a high, being India's second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket.
8. Pat Cummins | 37 wickets
The Australian captain picked up 37 wickets in 9 matches this year, helping Australia to edge closer to the World Test Championship Final.
However, Pat Cummins equalled Ravi Ahswin's record for most wickets (195) in the World Test Championship during the Boxing Day Test victory against India. The 31-year-old Australian pacer has achieved the mark in 86 innings as Ashwin leads the list with fewer games. (78).
Cummins recorded his best bowling figure in Tests for 2024, during the second Test against India, completing a five-wicket-haul for 57 runs in 14 overs.
