Everyone knows India’s batting might in cricket. The country has given so many batting superstars who have done tremendous work.
But there have been several bowlers who have also done some heavy lifting to emerge as the finest bowlers from India. And they have shown their greatness by raking in the highest Test bowling rating points.
Here we’ll look at the five highest rating points achieved by Indian bowlers in Test cricket.
5. Anil Kumble | 859 Rating Points
India’s highest Test wicket-taker, Anil Kumble, attained his highest rating points on January 30, 1994. The former leg spinner bagged 859 points on the back of an impressive outing in 1993.
Kumble featured in eight Test matches in 1993 and took 46 scalps, with 21 coming against England at home. He added eight wickets against Zimbabwe and 13 in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka toured India in January 1994, where Kumble picked up 18 wickets, helping him gain 859 rating points on the Test bowling rankings. In his 132-match career, the leggie fetched 619 wickets.
4. Kapil Dev | 877 Rating Points
Kapil Dev was the flag-bearer of India’s pace bowling attack from the late 1970s to early 1990s. Just in his second year in Test cricket in 1979, the pace-bowling all-rounder showed his mettle.
Dev finished the year with 74 wickets to see his rating touch 877 points on January 19, 1980. This was the highest rating achieved by an Indian fast bowler before Jasprit Bumrah surpassed him.
What’s interesting about Dev’s performance in 1979 is that 58 of those wickets came on the Indian tracks, which don’t offer a lot to pacers. The Haryana all-rounder picked up 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs in 131 Tests.
3. Ravindra Jadeja | 899 Rating Points
Ravindra Jadeja’s accurate line and length have often outfoxed batters, making him one of the best Indian spinners. Jaddu was at his peak in 2016-17 along with his spin companion Ravichandran Ashwin.
The left-arm spinner formed a lethal partnership with Ashwin and left batters miserable with his precise spin bowling. He racked up 43 and 54 wickets in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
In the meantime, Jadeja gained the top ranking while achieving 899 rating points on March 20, 2017. He kept the top spot for almost six months.
2. Ravichandran Ashwin | 904 Rating Points
For almost eight years, Ravichandran Ashwin held the previous record of attaining the highest Test bowling rating points among Indians. On December 12, 2016, the former Indian spinner logged 904 rating points to his name and ended the year as the No. 1 Test bowler.
Ashwin was at his absolute best in 2016, as he grabbed 72 wickets in 12 matches. He started with 17 scalps on the West Indies tour before spinning the web around New Zealand (27) and England (28) batters at home.
Ashwin’s spin mastery was pretty much on display throughout his career before he retired in December 2024. He left Test cricket with 537 wickets under his belt in 106 matches.
1. Jasprit Bumrah | 907 Rating Points
After reaching the No. 1 ICC Test bowling rankings in February 2024, Jasprit Bumrah kept his form intact throughout the year to script history. He wrapped up 2024 with 71 wickets in 13 Tests to gain the highest rating points by an Indian bowler.
He had excellent series against England and Bangladesh at home, taking 19 (four Tests) and 11 (two Tests) wickets, respectively. And then delivered a performance of a lifetime during India’s tour of Australia in 2024-25.
His consistent bowling performances down under boosted his rating points, surpassing Ashwin’s record by achieving 907 points.
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