The elite club of bowlers, who have reached or surpassed 600 wickets in Test cricket, is quite small. Only five bowlers in the history of cricket have been able to achieve this feat.
The exclusive club of Test cricket bowlers with more than 600 wickets comprises Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, who leads with 800 wickets, followed by Australia’s Shane Warne with 708. England’s James Anderson boasts over 675 wickets, while India’s Anil Kumble achieved 619. Joining them is Stuart Broad from England, who also surpassed the 600-wicket mark.
Check out the list of bowlers with more than 600 Test wickets.
Read More: 10 Leading Wicket Takers in Test Cricket
5 Fastest to 600 Wickets in Test Cricket
| Player | Span | Inns | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 5 w/I |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 1992-2010 | 230 | 800 | 9/51 | 22.72 | 2.47 | 55.04 | 67 |
| Shane Warne | 1992-2007 | 273 | 708 | 8/71 | 25.41 | 2.65 | 57.49 | 37 |
| James Anderson | 2003-2024 | 348 | 700 | 7/42 | 26.52 | 2.79 | 56.96 | 32 |
| Anil Kumble | 1990-2008 | 236 | 619 | 10/74 | 29.65 | 2.69 | 65.99 | 35 |
| Stuart Broad | 2007-2023 | 309 | 604 | 8/15 | 27.68 | 2.97 | 55.79 | 20 |
1. Muttiah Muralitharan – 800 wickets
Muttiah Muralitharan, one of the greatest spin bowlers in cricket, is the highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket, and also the fastest to 600 wickets in Test cricket. Debuting against Australia in 1992, Muralitharan’s unorthodox bowling action and ability to generate sharp turn on any surface quickly made him a regular in the Sri Lankan XI.
Despite initial scrutiny over his bowling action, which included a unique wrist and finger movement, Muralitharan’s effectiveness was undeniable. Muralitharan’s statistics speak volumes about his dominance in Test cricket.
Over a career spanning from 1992 to 2010, he played 133 matches and took an astonishing 800 wickets. His average of 22.72 and an incredible strike rate of 55.0 highlight his ability to take wickets regularly and quickly. Retiring from Test cricket in 2010 as the highest wicket-taker in the format, Muralitharan currently works in the capacity of a coach.
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2. Shane Warne – 708 wickets
One of the greatest leg-spin bowlers the game has ever seen, Shane Warne is the second highest wicket taker in Test cricket history with 708 wickets. Debuting against India in 1992, Warne’s impact was immediate. His ability to impart prodigious spin on the ball made him a nightmare for batsmen across the globe.
Warne’s famous delivery, the “flipper,” along with his classical leg-spinners and googlies, made him one of the best bowlers of his time. He played 145 matches and claimed 708 wickets, placing him second on the all-time list at the time of his retirement. His bowling average is 25.41 along with a strike rate of 57.4. Warne is the first bowler to take 600 and 700 Test wickets.
He also holds the record for the most wickets taken by an Australian bowler across all formats. Over 338 matches, he claimed 999 wickets at an average of 25.53, including 38 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket match hauls in Test matches. Warne also holds the record for the most wickets in a calendar year in Test cricket.
In 2005, he achieved this feat by taking 96 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 22.02. His unexpected death in 2022, at the age of 52, sent shockwaves through the cricketing world and beyond.
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3. James Anderson – 700 wickets
Third on the list of bowlers with at least 600 wickets in Test cricket is England’s all-time great, James Anderson, who is also the first fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets. Renowned as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history, he holds the record for the most wickets by a fast bowler in Test cricket, with a total of 700 wickets.
In February 2023, Anderson became the oldest player to reach the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling rankings. He has played the most Test matches for England and ranks second in all-time appearances, just behind Sachin Tendulkar. Anderson’s Test career began in 2003 against Zimbabwe at Lord’s, where he made a sensational debut with a five-wicket haul.
He reached the milestone of 700 wickets earlier this year in Dharamsala, taking the wicket of Kuldeep Yadav. Anderson will be retiring from international cricket following the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s, starting on July 10.
4. Anil Kumble – 619 wickets
Celebrated as one of the finest leg-spinners in cricket history, Anil Kumble’s Test career, spanning from 1990 to 2008, saw him pick up a whopping 619 wickets, which makes him India’s highest wicket taker in Test cricket. One of Kumble’s most iconic performances came in 1999 against Pakistan in Delhi, where he took all ten wickets in an innings, becoming only the second player in Test history to achieve this feat.
In 2004, Kumble became the third spinner in Test cricket history to reach 400 wickets, following Warne and Muralitharan, and the second Indian bowler after Kapil Dev to achieve this milestone. Kumble claimed his 500th Test wicket during the second Test of England’s tour of India in March 2006.
This made him the first Indian and the fifth overall to reach 500 Test wickets. Kumble took his first 50 Test wickets in just 10 matches, a record for an Indian bowler until Ravichandran Ashwin broke it by achieving the feat in nine matches. Kumble reached 100 Test wickets in 21 matches, the second fastest for an Indian bowler after Erapalli Prasanna, who did it in 20 matches.
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5. Stuart Broad – 604 wickets
One of England’s greatest Test bowlers, Stuart Broad picked up 604 wickets in 167 matches. During the 2023 Ashes series against Australia, Broad became one of the few bowlers to take 600 wickets in Test cricket. He is only the second fast bowler and the second England bowler to achieve this milestone.
In the fourth Test of the 2015 Ashes series, Broad recorded his career-best figures of 8/15 in the first innings, dismissing Australia for just 60 runs. This remarkable performance was later named Wisden’s Men’s Test spell of the decade.
In his final match at The Oval during the concluding day of the Ashes, Broad hit a six with the last ball he faced and then took a wicket with the final ball he bowled, sealing the Test victory for England. Broad has taken a total of 845 wickets in international cricket, ranking fourth among pace bowlers across all formats.
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FAQ’s about Highest Test Wickets
Q) Who has taken the fastest 600 wickets in Test cricket?
A) The fastest to reach 600 wickets in Test cricket is Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka. He achieved this milestone in 101 matches.
Q) Who is the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket?
A) The highest wicket-taker in Test cricket is Muttiah Muralitharan, who took a staggering 800 wickets in his Test career.
Q) Who is India’s highest wicket taker in Test cricket?
A) India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket is Anil Kumble. He took 619 wickets in his Test career, placing him as the leading wicket-taker for India and among the top five highest wicket-takers in Test cricket.
