Over the years, we have seen India emerge as a batting powerhouse. And it’s not wrong either, with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli being the faces of Indian cricket.
But batters alone don’t win matches, isn’t it? So we have also seen a few notable bowlers who complimented well with their batting counterparts, raking in heaps of wickets.
These bowlers have been the reason behind India’s Test dominance in home and away conditions, more so after 2010. Thanks to their consistent wicket-taking abilities, they managed to sit at the top of the ICC rankings in Test cricket.
So here are the four Indian bowlers who have achieved the No. 1 ICC Test bowling ranking.
1. Bishan Singh Bedi
In 1973, Bishan Singh Bedi became the first Indian bowler to top the ICC Test bowling rankings. He was one of the best Indian spinners in his days, forming a deadly combo with Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna, and Srinivas Venkatraghavan.
Bedi deceived batters with subtle changes in spin and flight while delivering the ball with great control. That helped him bag 266 wickets in 67 matches while maintaining an average of 28.71 and an economy rate of 2.14.
2. Ravichandran Ashwin
It took almost 42 years for another Indian bowler to claim the No. 1 ICC ranking in Test cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin imitated Bedi’s feat for the first time in December 2015.
He rounded up 2015 with 62 scalps in nine matches at an average of 17.20 to pip out Dale Steyn from the pole position. Ashwin kept shuffling up and down the rankings for his entire career.
He was back at the top in 2017, when he also shared the spot with his partner Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin’s second stint at No. 1 was a result of phenomenal performances in 2016 and 2017, as he gulped 72 and 56 wickets, respectively.
The off-spinner returned to the top spot one last time in March 2023 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at home. Ashwin retired from Tests with a haul of 537 wickets and many records.
3. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja paired well with Ashwin, especially in home conditions, where the duo troubled the visiting batters with their spin. Despite playing in the shadow of Ashwin, the bowling all-rounder managed to steal the No. 1 spot from him.
While Ashwin was already sitting at the top, Jadeja came along well, striking wickets with precision. He climbed the ladder to hold the pole position along with Ashwin before claiming it for six months in 2017.
Both Jadeja and Ashwin have also reached the top spot in the all-rounders category several times.
4. Jasprit Bumrah
Earlier in 2024, Jasprit Bumrah became only the first Indian fast bowler to attain the No. ICC Test bowling ranking. The pacer with unorthodox action has been the leader of the bowling attack for the last five to six years.
When nothing happens in a match, Bumrah creates opportunities out of nowhere to bring India back into the contest. And ever since he has returned from injury in 2023, he has turned into a beast.
Bumrah achieved the top spot in February 2024 during the five-match series against England. He has also achieved the feat in ODIs and T20Is, making him the first Indian bowler to reach the No. 1 spot in all formats.
In December 2024, he scripted history by gaining the joint-most ranking points by an Indian bowler while topping the chart. The pacer collected 904 rating points, levelling with Ashwin’s peak in 2016.
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