Which bowlers have taken more than 600 wickets in Test history?

Test cricket is perhaps the pinnacle of the sport of cricket. Consistency in form and physical fitness is one of the prime requirements of the format. 

And to do it over a long career and scalp a truckload of wickets is no easy job. Only absolute legends of the game have managed to pick 600 wickets or more in their Test career. 

The greatest among the pack is, of course, Muttiah Muralitharan, the magical off-spinner from Sri Lanka. However, only two pace bowlers have ever managed this feat - England's Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Broad, 37, has just announced that he will retire after the conclusion of Ashes 2023. 

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Meanwhile, Anderson continues to turn a deaf ear to retirement questions and is still going strong at 41. 

Let's take a look at the bowlers who have taken 600 wickets in Tests.  

Who has taken 600 wickets in Tests?

The list of bowlers with more than 600 Test wickets is dominated by spin maestros. For the longest of time, the list only had the entries of some elite spinners. 

Muttiah Muralitharan (800): Sri Lankan legend Muralitharan has the highest number of wickets in Tests - 800. The veteran picked his maiden test wicket in his first test match against Australia in 1992. Bowler Craig McDermott was his first test wicket.

In his last test against India in 2010, the maestro picked up eight wickets in the match. As a result, he reached the unbreakable milestone of picking up 800 wickets in Tests. His last ever scalp in Tests was Indian spinner, Pragyan Ojha. 

Shane Warne (708): Late wrist-spinner Shane Warne is the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests. The Aussie picked up 708 wickets in 145 matches. His first Test wicket was the great Ravi Shastri. Warne dismissed Shastri for 206 runs in the second innings.

Warne's last test wicket came against England in the Ashes 2007. Warne picked up Andrew Flintoff in the third innings of the final Ashes Test.

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James Anderson (690): Anderson is the pacer with the highest Test wickets. The England speedster has picked up 690 wickets in 145 matches. He is also the highest wicket-taker among active players. 

Anderson's first five Test wickets came in his debut match against Zimbabwe in 2003. His most recent wicket was in the fifth Ashes test of the 2023 series. He picked up the wicket of Mitchell Marsh at the iconic Oval stadium

Anil Kumble (614): Indian leggie Anil Kumble finds himself fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers in Test History. He is also the only one from the subcontinent on this elite list. He ended an illustrious career with 614 wickets in 132 matches.

Kumble bagged three wickets on his Test debut against England in 1990. Allan Lamb was his first test wicket. In his last test match against Australia in Delhi, Kumble picked up Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, and Mitchell Johnson as he bowed out of Tests. 

Stuart Broad (602): England pacer Stuart Broad is the most recent entry to the list of bowlers having 600 test wickets. He joins his fellow countryman James Anderson, as the only pacers to feature on this list. Broad has picked up 602 wickets in 167 Tests.

He picked up the sole wicket of Chaminda Vaas on his debut in December 2007. 166 test matches later, Broad has now picked up 600 test wickets and has etched his name into the history books.  

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List of bowlers with more than 600 Test Wickets 

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