Top 5 bowlers with the worst economy rate in a Test innings

Test cricket is the longest form of cricket and is considered as the purest one. It is currently, probably the only form of the game where bowlers tend to maintain a low economic rate due to the uprising of the ODI and T20 format.

It has experienced a lot of records, both wanted and unwanted ones and here we are going to see an extremely unwanted record,i.e, bowlers with the worst economy rate in a single inning.

Can you imagine legendary cricketers featuring in this list? But the hard truth is that as many as 3 legendary bowlers feature here. Bowl poorly in just an innings and you have to carry the terrible record throughout your career. Here we look at five such bowlers who have the unpleasant tag of having the highest economy rate in a Test inning.

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#5 Imran Tahir (7.82)

Imran Tahir-One of the Proteas' legendary spinner

It was in Adelaide in 2012 during the second Test of the South Africa vs Australia Test series that Imran Tahir produced a spell as pleasing to the eye as a rotten banana. Whether it was the Australian middle order or the lower order, they didn't spare Tahir as he went for 180 runs at an economy of 7.82 runs per over of the 23 overs that he bowled and further, to add salt to the wound he went wicketless.

The Pakistan born bowler's match figures of 267/0 are still the most runs conceded in a Test match by a bowler who bowled at least 20 overs. Surely he improved after that, becoming one of the premium bowlers for the Proteas and picking up a total of 57 scalps in his Test career but his terrible record in the beginning phase of his career has forced him to carry the bizarre tag around.

#4 Allan Donald (8.00)

Allan Donald-One of the legends in cricket history

Yes, you read that right. South Africa's fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests with 330 scalps features in this list. During the 2nd Test of the England vs South Africa Test series, Donald conceded 96 runs from the 12 overs that he bowled, at an economy rate of 8.00.

England was given a target of 204 runs in the final innings and Donald alone went for 96 runs. His sole consolation in his bizarre spell was the wicket of Michael Atherton.

England eventually won the match by 8 wickets and Allan Donald went on to take a total of 12 wickets in the series but as quoted earlier- one terrible performance and you carry the unwanted tag forever.

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#3 Bryce McGain (8.27)

Bryce McGain's first Test was also his last one.

Australian spinner Bryne McGain played only one Test in his career which was the third Test of the Australia vs South Africa Test series. He bowled a total of 18 overs in the first innings of that match and went for a massive 149 runs at an economy rate of 8.27 runs per over. South Africa went on to humiliate Australia by winning the match by an innings and 20 runs and thereafter Bryce was dropped from the team and was never recalled back.

#2 Shahadat Hossain (8.41)

Shahadat conceded 101 runs off his 12 overs

Bangladeshi fast bowler Shahadat Hossain played a total of 38 matches and picked up 72 wickets in his Test career but on his debut in the England vs Bangladesh series in 2005, nineteen years old Shahadat leaked a massive 101 runs of his 12 overs at an economy rate of 8.41 runs per over.

He went wicketless in his terrible spell and England crushed Bangladesh by an innings and 261 runs. Shahadat went on to play 37 more matches before he was dropped from the team courtesy to a string of poor performances.

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#1 Yasir Shah (8.85)

Yasir Shah-One of the greatest spinners of Pakistan

Yes, Pakistan's 8th highest wicket-taker in Tests with 181 wickets tops this list. Yasir Shah conceded a record 124 runs of his 14 overs at an economy rate of 8.85 runs per over during the third Test of the Pakistan vs Australia Test series in 2017.

Yasir's consolation wicket came in the form of that of Steve Smith and Australia eventually cruised to a 220 run win in that match. Yasir ended with match figures of 291/2 of 54 overs and ended with a mere 8 wickets in that series.