Top 10 Bowlers with most wickets against a team in international cricket

Top 10 Bowlers with most wickets against a team in international cricket: A lot of batsmen love scoring runs against a particular opposition eg. Sachin Tendulkar vs Australia, Virat Kohli vs Sri Lanka, AB de Villiers vs India etc. similarly there have been bowlers who love taking wickets against a particular side. We shall take a look at the top 10 bowlers to have taken wickets against a particular team in international cricket. 10. Sir Richard Hadlee v Australia – 176: (Photo Source: PA Photos) Sir Richard Hadlee was one of the greatest New Zealanders to have ever graced the game. He was his side’s wicket taker and held the record for the most wickets in a career and a calendar year which was eventually overtaken by Kapil Dev and Shane Warne respectively. He liked the Trans-Tasmanian challenge and took heaps of wickets against the Aussies. His returns of 176 wickets in 76 innings at an average of 21.18 is quite enviable. 9. Curtly Ambrose v England – 178: (Photo Source: Getty Images) Curtly Ambrose was easily the most fear-inducing bowler of his generation and probably the last few of the now depleted West Indies fast bowling species. Ambrose had scalped 178 wickets in 81 innings with an average of 20.52 and loved destroying the English batting order. 8. Muttiah Muralitharan v Pakistan – 179: Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan. AFP PHOTO/ Lakruwan WANNIARACHCHI (Photo credit LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) The smiling assassin, also the highest wicket taker in ODIs, Tests and international cricket the Sri Lankan off-spinner Mutthiah Muralitharan loved playing against Asian heavyweights Pakistan. Despite Pakistan being a conventionally good team of spin bowling, he is the most successful bowler against Pakistan taking 179 wickets in 91 innings. 7. Mutthiah Muralitharan v India – 179: Muthiah Muralitharan. (© LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Mutthiah Muralitharan features in this list yet again. This time against India, an opponent against whom he has been successful and expensive at times. Though he has taken 179 wickets in 91 innings, however his average of 32.27 is the highest in this list. His most memorable performance would’ve been his last Test where he needed 8 wickets and finished his career with exactly 800 Test wickets a milestone that is likely to pass the test of time. 6. Ian Botham v Australia – 183: Ian Botham and Bob Willis. (© Getty Images) Ian Botham fondly called Beefy, is probably the greatest all-rounder to have played the game. It was Botham who in the 1981 Ashes single handedly took his side to victory, the most memorable moment of his career. Botham was England’s higest Test wicket taker until recently when James Anderson overtook him. Like any English player, he too thrived in the challenge of playing against Australia, taking 183 wickets in 98 innings at an average of 28.77. 5. Curtly Ambrose v Australia – 189: West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) Curtly Ambrose features yet again in this list. This time against Australia. Unlike these days, West Indies in the 90s would give the Aussies a tough fight with their pacers in the form of Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Ian Bishop and a strong batting line. Curtly has taken 189 wickets at an average of 21.41 against the Aussies, the most by any bowler. 4. Shane Warne v South Africa – 190: Australian bowler Shane Warne (L) and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (R). (Photo credit: ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images) Shane Warne, the king of spin was the most successful bowler against South Africa taking 190 wickets in 89 innings with an average of 25.57. He had a lot of battles against the Rainbow nation, one of the most memorable coming in the semi-final of the 1999 World Cup where he spun the game back in Australia’s favour and was rightfully adjudged the Man of the Match. 3. Dennis Lillee v England – 198: Denis Lillee. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Dennis Lillee one of Australia’s all-time greats revelled in the challenge that was the Ashes. He was the Dennis the Menace for English batsmen on most days. His figures of 198 wickets in 94 innings at an average of 20.81 are simply outstanding. He along with Jeff Thomson set the legacy for Australian fast bowlers for the generations to come. 2. Glenn McGrath v England – 213: Australia’s Glenn McGrath (L) runs after taking the wicket of England’s Paul Collingwood (R).(Photo credit: GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images) Glenn McGrath, the current record holder for the most wickets in Tests by a fast bowler at 563, like the gentleman above him, loved bowling against England taking 213 wickets in 94 innings and had an average of 21.28. He had made a bunny out of Michael Atherton, getting him out 19 times out in 35 innings. McGrath ended his celebrated Test career leading his team to thumping 5-0 victory over England in the 2006-07 Ashes where he had taken 21 wickets at an average of 23.90. 1. Shane Warne v England – 217: Shane Warne. (© Getty Images) Shane Warne also makes multiple appearances in the list. Warne simply enjoyed bowling against England. From his “ball of the century” to Mike Gatting to the Ashes of 2005 where he put his everything to win the Ashes for his side, taking 40 wickets in 5 games, most a bowler has taken in a series since 1989. He like McGrath ended his Test career against England in the 2006-07 Ashes. In the 90 innings vs England, he took 217 wickets and got those maintaining an average of 24.25, the most any bowler has against a single opponent.

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