The decade has been that of Test cricket domination by Indian cricket and also partially due to their pacers who have delivered some great spells all over the world. Interestingly, to add, the Indian pace attack has produced some thrilling spells of fast bowling, even on flat tracks back home.
Recently, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took his 50th Test wicket on home soil in the ongoing first Test against West Indies. So now here is a list of Indian pacers who have taken the least number of innings to hit 50 Test wickets at home.
Fastest to 50 Test Wickets at Home for India
| Rank | Bowler | Innings to 50 Wickets | Matches at Home | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasprit Bumrah | 24 | 13 | 2.90 |
| 2 | Javagal Srinath | 24 | 32 | 2.85 |
| 3 | Kapil Dev | 25 | 65 | 2.85 |
| 4 | Ishant Sharma | 27 | 42 | 2.89 |
| 5 | Mohammed Shami | 27 | N/A | N/A |
5. 27 innings: Ishant Sharma
Sharing the fourth position is the tall Indian fast bowler. The Delhi pacer who, for nearly a decade, was one of the senior pacers in the attack, has so far played 42 Test matches at home, most of them in India, taking 104 wickets at an average of 31.64, while conceding runs at an economy rate of just 2.89.
Quite intriguingly, Ishant took his 50th Test wicket at home in his 27th innings against the West Indies back in 2011, with two wickets in the second Test at Eden Gardens.
4. 27 innings – Mohammed Shami
Further down this list at joint fourth is another Indian paceman who was really good, Mohammed Shami. Shami, who is not in the Test set-up currently, was a crucial weapon for India in all home and away Tests. Shami took 50 Test wickets in 27 innings at home also when South Africa toured India for the 2019 Test in Ranchi.
Overall in his career, Shami has taken 229 wickets in 64 matches for India.
3. 25 innings – Kapil Dev
Coming in at number 3 is one of the most dominating Indian all-rounders and one of the visionary captains for the Indian side back in the era, Kapil Dev. The great Kapil Dev was called upon to play an instrumental role for India back in the day, as he managed to grab a total of 434 scalps in 131 matches, while in India, he alone managed to pick up 219 wickets in 65 games at an average of 26.49, charged with an economy of 2.85.
Hence he is still, even years after retirement, retained the number one position with most wickets at home between Indian pacers. Kapil’s 50th Test wicket at home came against Pakistan in 1979 in the second Test at Delhi.
In this meeting, Kapil Dev took five wickets in the first innings, while strengthening in the second, he nabbed another four-wicket haul, nine wickets in the game, bagging the landmark in only his 25th innings.
2. 24 innings – Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath is one of the joint-fastest pacers to grab 50 wickets at his home ground. Srinath, an ICC Elite panel match referee, was once a terrifying bowler in the earlier days. A record at home bells: 108 wickets in 32 home Tests for India, and a total of 232 wickets in 67 Test matches for India at an average of 30.49, coupled with an economy rate of 2.85.
Srinath was the first to reach the 50-wicket milestone at home in 24 innings. That came in 1998 against Australia in the second Test of the series at Eden Gardens. Srinath had been awarded the player of the match for his incredible spells of taking three wickets in each innings as he helped India to an innings and 219 runs win.
1. 24 innings- Jasprit Bumrah*
Jasprit Bumrah has just been crowned this year, so he becomes the player who gets the most wickets at home in the fewest innings. Bumrah remains the hardest bowler to face not only in India but also worldwide, with his dominance continuing in each format of the game. Bumrah has played very few 13 Test matches at home so far, wherein, by the time of his 24th inning, he had picked 50 wickets at home at an average of 17.17 and economy of 2.90. To date, Bumrah has bagged 219 wickets in 48 Test matches at an average of 19.82 and taken 15 five-wicket hauls.
