Top 10 Best bowling figures in Test history
Unlike limited overs cricket, test cricket offers numerous opportunities to players to grab cricket records. The main reason for such liberality from the classical version of the game is the non-restriction of the number of overs. Usually the more cricket a player plays the more he learns. Similar formulae applies in test matches where a player get countless number of deliveries to play. On the other hand, 10 overs per person restriction also gets abolished for the bowlers. Thus this more freedom brings a lot of opportunities for both the batsmen and bowlers to show their talent. Although taking wickets in a test game is not an easy task, some great bowlers still manage to rip apart the whole batting lineup of the opposition. Also these best bowling figures in test matches prevent the game from being a one sided encounter.
Best bowling figures in test matches record goes deep in history. Certainly such performances from the bowlers cannot be expected now a day. With all test playing nations adopted and improved that much none can expect a bowler to take almost a whole team’s wickets. However that has been the case in past. JC Laker from England took 19 wickets in a test match against bitter rivals Australia in 1956. A record created almost sixty years ago is still the best bowling figures in test matches. Similarly some other unbelievable performances from bowlers belong to 70 and 80’s era.
The most recent performance from a bowler that shock the whole world also came 15 years ago. Harbhajan Singh from India took 15 wickets in a test match played at Chennai. Although his opponent were the best team in the world – Australia, however considering the favorable conditions he had in the game it wasn’t of much surprise. Top 10 best bowling figures in test cricket history goes as under.
Top 10 Best bowling figures in Test history
| Player | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
| JC Laker | 68.0 | 27 | 90 | 19 | 1.32 | England | Australia | Manchester | 26 Jul 1956 |
| SF Barnes | 65.3 | 16 | 159 | 17 | 2.42 | England | South Africa | Johannesburg | 26 Dec 1913 |
| ND Hirwani | 33.5 | 6 | 136 | 16 | 4.01 | India | v West Indies | Chennai | 11 Jan 1988 |
| RAL Massie | 60.1 | 16 | 137 | 16 | 2.27 | Australia | v England | Lord’s | 22 Jun 1972 |
| M Muralitharan | 113.5 | 41 | 220 | 16 | 1.93 | Sri Lanka | v England | The Oval | 27 Aug 1998 |
| J Briggs | 33.3×4 | 16 | 28 | 15 | 1.24 | England | v South Africa | Cape Town | 25 Mar 1889 |
| GA Lohmann | 25.3×5 | 11 | 45 | 15 | 2.10 | England | v South Africa | Port Elizabeth | 13 Feb 1896 |
| C Blythe | 38.3 | 10 | 99 | 15 | 2.57 | England | v South Africa | Leeds | 29 Jul 1907 |
| H Verity | 58.3 | 23 | 104 | 15 | 1.77 | England | v Australia | Lord’s | 22 Jun 1934 |
| RJ Hadlee | 52.3 | 13 | 123 | 15 | 2.34 | New Zealand | v Australia | Brisbane | 8 Nov 1985 |
