3 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets in a losing cause

#2 Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble even went on to captain the Indian team in a legendary international career

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble is the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history, so him being part of this list may not come as a surprise simply due to the sheer number of matches he has played in the whites. Over the course of 132 Tests, Kumble took 619 wickets, 124 of which came in losses.

Understandably, the team's performance was heavily reliant on their star leg-spinner, with Kumble's average of 41.35 in Test losses a far cry from his career average of 29.65. Out of the 35 5-wicket hauls Kumble took in Tests, only 5 came in losses.

Jumbo was one of India's greatest match-winners, and this fact is further evidenced by these startling numbers. Kumble also played 275 ODIs for the country, picking up 337 wickets with 2 5-wicket hauls.

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#1 Kapil Dev

1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev is one of India's greatest all-rounders and leaders

One of the country's greatest-ever captains, Kapil Dev was a shining light in a time when India were nowhere near the dominant force they are today. In 131 Test matches, he picked up 434 wickets at an average of 29.64.

But surprisingly, the all-rounder's performances in Test losses don't make for bad reading, perhaps signifying that Kapil Dev was a man who rose up to the occasion when the going got tough.

He picked up 132 wickets in Test losses at an average of 28.3, more than one point lower than his career bowling average. Kapil Dev's best figures in an innings of 9/83 also came in a defeat to the West Indies. Out of the 23 5-wicket hauls he achieved in Tests, 10 came in a losing cause.

The man from Haryana may not have been part of the greatest generation of Indian cricketers, given their lack of resources. However, Kapil Dev and his 1983 World Cup win hold a special place in Indian cricket history.

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