Discover the Fastest Players To Take 500 Wickets In Test Cricket, showcasing incredible skill, consistency, and record-breaking performances. Test cricket is the longest format of the game, requiring patience, bravery, determination, and strategy for success. Bowlers, in particular, need these qualities to thrive against the cautious approach of batters in the five-day format.
In Test cricket history, only seven bowlers have taken over 500 wickets. Courtney Walsh of the West Indies was the first to achieve this milestone, reaching 500 wickets in his 129th Test match against South Africa in March 2001.
Australian legend Shane Warne became the second bowler to reach 500 Test wickets, achieving the feat in just 108 matches. He made history on March 8, 2004, against Sri Lanka. Soon after, Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralidaran also joined the 500-wicket club during the next match in that series.
Muthiah Muralidaran holds the record for being the fastest to 500 Test wickets, achieving it in only 87 matches. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is the second-fastest, reaching the milestone in just 98 Tests. Apart from Muralidaran, Ashwin is the only other bowler to reach 500 wickets in less than 100 matches.
For India, Ravichandran Ashwin and Anil Kumble are the only two bowlers with over 500 Test wickets. Kumble achieved the milestone in 105 matches, making him the third-fastest overall.
4. Muthiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka) – 500 Test wickets in 87 matches
Sri Lankan legend Muthiah Muralidaran took just 87 matches to reach 500 Test wickets. Earlier, during Australia’s 2004 tour of Sri Lanka, Shane Warne had broken Courtney Walsh’s record of 129 matches by reaching the milestone in 108 games. However, Muralidaran surpassed Warne’s record in the very next Test.
The clever Sri Lankan spinner, who confused many batters during his career, is still the fastest to reach 500 Test wickets. This record has lasted for nearly 20 years. Muralidaran also holds the record for the most wickets in Test cricket history, with 800 wickets—92 more than Shane Warne, who is second on the list.
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3. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 500 Test wickets in 97 matches
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin became the second-fastest bowler to take 500 Test wickets. He reached this milestone in his 97th Test during the third match of England’s 2024 tour of India at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. With this achievement, Ashwin set a new record as the fastest Indian bowler to 500 Test wickets, beating Anil Kumble’s earlier record.
2. Anil Kumble (India) – 500 Test wickets in 105 matches
Anil Kumble, India’s top wicket-taker in Test cricket, took his 500th wicket against England at Mohali in his 105th match. His hard work and determination helped him end his Test career with 619 wickets in 132 matches.
Kumble is the second bowler in Test cricket history to take all 10 wickets in a single innings. The spinner from Karnataka achieved this amazing record against Pakistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in February 1999.
1. Shane Warne (Australia) – 500 Test wickets in 108 matches
Shane Warne reached 500 wickets in just 108 Tests, becoming the fastest Australian to achieve this milestone. He broke Courtney Walsh’s record during a match in Galle against Sri Lanka, taking 10 wickets in the game and helping Australia take an early lead in the series.
Known as a spin wizard, Warne is one of only two bowlers with over 1,000 international wickets. Nicknamed “Warnie,” the Australian legend ended his Test career with 708 wickets. Against England in the Ashes, Warne took 195 wickets—the most by any bowler against a single opponent in Test cricket.
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Quickest Bowlers To Reach 500 Test Wickets
| Player | Team | Matches | Date | Time since debut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muthiah Muralidaran | Sri Lanka | 87 | March 16, 2024 | 11y, 201d |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 98 | February 16,2024 | 12y, 102d |
| Anil Kumble | India | 105 | March 9, 2006 | 15y, 212d |
| Shane Warne | Australia | 108 | March 8, 2004 | 12y, 66d |
| Glenn McGrath | Australia | 110 | July 21, 2005 | 11y, 251d |
| Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 129 | March 17, 2001 | 16y, 128d |
| James Anderson | England | 129 | September 7, 2017 | 14y, 108d |
| Stuart Broad | England | 140 | July 24, 2020 | 12y, 228d |