CricTracker fan poll – 5 best Test bowlers of the year

In another year-end poll, we decided to ask the fans to rate the five best Test bowlers who were the most consistent performers for their nation in the last 12 months. We have picked the top 5 Test bowlers who were the most productive bowlers for their respective teams. More than 3200 fans voted in the poll on the CricTracker Facebook page and crowned Indian spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin as the champion of the contest.

Ashwin who bagged 72 wickets in the calendar year was accompanied by Pakistani leg-spinner Yasir Shah. The other three in the contention were Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc, Proteas pace sensation Kagiso Rabada and Sri Lankan veteran spinner Rangana Herath. Performances prior to the Boxing Day Tests have been taken into consideration. Here are the top 5 based on the votes.

5. Kagiso Rabada – 3% votes

Youngster Kagiso Rabada had a tremendous start to his international career and his success at the highest level in 2016 is a result of all the hard work and the extra yards he put in. The Proteas began the year with a series loss at the hands of England but not before Rabada had made the English batsmen toil very hard for their runs. He picked up 22 wickets in the 3-match series at an average of 21.90. In the final Test at Centurion he finished with career-best figures of 13/144.

In the next series against New Zealand, he bagged 5 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 25. Rabada came back storming in the Test series against Australia which the Proteas won by a 2-1 margin. He along with Kyle Abbott and Vernon Philander were lethal with both the new and the old ball and finished the series with 15 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 22.40. His only five-wicket haul in the series came at Perth.

Also read- CricTracker fan poll – 5 best Test batsmen of the year