Top 5 Indian Test bowlers of all time

2. Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev was a master of the outswinger

Kapil Dev may have gone down in Indian cricket history as the greatest all-rounder that the country has produced, but it was his bowling that made him all the more special. A tally of 434 wickets in 131 Tests puts the Chandigarh-born pacer in fourth place among the most successful fast bowlers of all time.

A bowler for all conditions, Kapil enjoyed a similar amount of success in both home and away Tests. He was easily India’s best bowler on Australian pitches as he took 51 wickets in 11 Tests there at a remarkable average of just 24.58 and also in the West Indies where he averaged slightly over 23 for his 35 wickets.

Although India did not win too much in the 5-day format during his days in international cricket, Kapil Dev’s average in 24 matches won by the team was a stunning 18.30. His career-best match figures of 11 for 146 came in a 10-wicket win for the Indians against arch-rivals Pakistan at Madras (now Chennai) in 1980.