Here we are looking at the most wickets in India vs England Tests. India and England will be up against each other in a five-match Test series, which gets underway on Thursday, January 25. Hyderabad, Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala will host the red-ball matches.
The last time these two teams met in Test cricket, England beat India by seven wickets at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. Overall, England have had the upper hand against India in Tests, having won 50 out of 131 matches and losing only 31.
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In India, however, the equation changes. In 64 Tests on home soil, India beat England in 22 Tests and lost only 14. 28 matches ended in draws. It will be tough for England to win the upcoming Test series.
The series is expected to witness some quality bowling with both England and India having world-class bowlers in their ranks.
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The top 5: Most wickets in India vs England Tests
James Anderson
James Anderson is the leading wicket-taker in Test matches between India and England. In fact, he is the only bowler to have taken more than 100 wickets in India vs England Tests. The veteran has picked up 139 wickets from 35 matches at an economy rate of 2.71 with six five-wicket hauls to his name.
Back in August 2018, Anderson racked up his best figures against India at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. In the first innings, the pacer finished with figures of 13.2-5-20-5. In the second innings, he had figures of 12-5-23-4.
On the back of his spell, England beat India by an innings and 159 runs. Back in 2007 at the Lord’s, Anderson got his second-best figures of 24.2-8-42-5, although the match ended in a draw.
He is also 10 wickets short of picking up 700 wickets in Tests, thereby making him only the third bowler in the history of the format after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan to reach the landmark.
Anderson is one of the greats of the game and there is no second thoughts about it.
BS Chandrasekhar
India’s BS Chandrasekhar is the most successful Indian bowler in Test matches. The leg-spinner played 23 Tests in which he accounted for 95 wickets with eight five-wicket hauls to his name. In fact, the veteran holds the record for most five-wicket hauls in Tests between India and England.
James Anderson, Ravi Ashwin, and Ian Botham have six fifers apiece. As far as Chandrasekar is concerned, the English batters found it extremely tough to face him.
One of his most memorable spells in Tests against England came back in December 1972 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, then known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, in New Delhi.
After India were bowled out for 173, Chandrasekar helped India bowl the opponents out for 200 with a spell of 41.5-18-79-8. India, however, lost the match by six wickets.
The tweaker played 15 years for India and went on to pick up 242 wickets with 16 five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls to show for his efforts.
Most runs in India vs England Tests
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble was not a big turner of the cricket ball, but he found ways to rip through the opposition batting with his clever change of pace. In Test matches between India and England, Kumble, popularly known as Jumbo, picked up 92 wickets from 19 games with four five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul.
Kumble got his best figures against England back in 2001 in Ahmedabad. The leg-spinner finished with figures of 51-13-115-7 at the Sardar Patel Stadium. Despite his stupendous spell, England went on to score 407 in 144.3 overs. The match eventually ended in a draw.
🗓️ #OnThisDay in 2018…
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 9, 2023
✋ Jimmy Anderson takes 5-20
🏴 England bowl India out for 107
The King of Swing 👑 #EnglandCricket | @Jimmy9 pic.twitter.com/SpZJ5schNE
However, in 1993, when he was new to the international circuit, Kumble produced a magical spell and helped India beat England by an innings and 22 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
In the first innings, Kumble picked up two wickets, but it was in the second that he made an impact. With figures of 21-7-64-6, he made sure that India bowled their opponents out for 252. In 132 Tests, Kumble picked up 619 runs with 35 five-wicket hauls.
Ravi Ashwin
Ravi Ashwin has been a prolific wicket-taker for India, especially on home soil where batters have struggled to get on top of him. He is fourth in the list of leading wicket-takers in Test matches between England and India.
The veteran has taken 88 wickets from 19 matches at an economy rate of 2.77 with six five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul to his name. Ashwin got his best figures against England back in December 2016 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With figures of 20.3-3-55-6, he helped his team beat England by an innings and 36 runs at the iconic venue. Even in the first innings of the same Test, Ashwin had figures of 44-4-112-6.
Although it was Virat Kohli, who won the Player of the Match award for his double century, Ashwin also played a huge part. Ashwin also got a six-wicket haul against England in 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Ashwin, in the meantime, is only 10 wickets short of picking up 500 wickets in Test cricket.
Bishan Singh Bedi
Late Bishan Singh Bedi is fifth in the list of leading wicket-takers in Test matches between India and England. The left-arm spinner picked up 85 wickets from 22 matches with four five-wicket hauls to show for his efforts.
Bedi notched his best bowling figures against England back in January 1977 at the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium in Bangalore. India won the match by 140 runs after Bedi turned up with figures of 21.3-4-71-6 in the second innings.
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Bedi also racked up a six-wicket haul against England back in June 1974 at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. In 1972 and 1977, he also picked up five-wicket hauls at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Bedi finished his Test career with 266 wickets from 67 Tests with 14 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul. Back on October 23, 2023, Bedi passed away at the age of 77.
