‘The 500’ club of Test cricket

Glenn McGrath

McGrath was known for his accuracy as well as sledging

He may not have been the quickest of fast bowers, but Glenn McGrath’s strength was bowling an unwavering line and length in and around off-stump and seducing the batsman into making a mistake.

He made his Test debut for Australia in 1993, however, it was in the series against the West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka during 1994-95 that he came into prominence, picking up a whopping 53 wickets.

Later in his career, McGrath gained a reputation for consistently speaking his mind to the batsmen, getting involved in many on-field spats. He also became famous for his bold predictions, invariably prophesying a whitewash for any opposition Australia played against.

He played his last Test in an Ashes series in 2006-07, taking 21 wickets at an average of 23.9 – still at the top of his game. McGrath and Shane Warne were the two wreckers-in-chief for Australia, largely responsible for their side's dominance for more than a decade in all formats of the game. So, it was only fitting that both greats retired on the same day.

McGrath bid adieu to the game having played in 124 Tests, scalping wickets.