Ranking top 10 bowlers in the ICC WTC 2019-21

The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) started with the aim of rejuvenating Test cricket and it has certainly worked well to quite an extent. Had the pandemic not hit us, even better results would have been obtained. However, the championship was a well-fought one and we had a dramatic final in Southampton which showed us how intriguing Test cricket can be. In the entire cycle of the WTC, we did not have many high-scoring matches where teams scored totals like 400 or 500. The majority of the matches were an even contest where both the batsmen and the bowlers were at their best. A major reason for this was how bowlers were stepping up their game. They make full use of the conditions available and also give in their best when the conditions are batting friendly. Many bowlers from various teams have performed wonderfully and contributed to their team’s success. Here we take a look at- Top bowlers from WTC 2019-21 cycle 10) Ishant Sharma MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 29: Ishant Sharma of India (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) Ishant Sharma has been in the Indian Test team from the time when he was a young lad. He has improved comprehensively over the years to evolve and become India’s pace spearhead. In the process, he has played more than 100 Tests taking wickets in excess of 300. Ishant has also played a major role in getting India to the number 1 rank in Test cricket. So, a lot was expected from such an experienced campaigner when the WTC started. Ishant did stand up to those expectations as he performed really well as the pace leader. Sharma played 12 of India’s WTC games where he took 39 wickets. His average was pretty low at 17.25. Moreover, he struck every 37 balls which is one of the best strike rates in the world. His best figures read 5/22 which he picked against Bangladesh in India’s inaugural pink-ball Test. 9) Anrich Nortje Anrich Nortje. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The right-arm pacer has been a wonderful find for South African cricket. Anrich Nortje made his international Test debut in the WTC itself, against India in 2019 at Pune. Since then, he has impressed everyone with his serious pace as he knocks 150km/h regularly which brings him many wickets. Nortje’s strongest skill is his sheer pace which helps him get wickets on both, green and flat wickets. Another weapon in his artillery is his ability to hit the deck. This helps him extract extra bounce on true South African pitches. In the WTC, where he has played all his career matches yet, Nortje has picked 47 wickets in 12 matches and is among the top 10 wicket-takers of the championship. His average while taking those wickets is 28.10 and has a strike rate of 46.4. His best bowling figures are 6/56 and has taken 3 fifers in all. 8) Mohammed Shami Mohammed Shami. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) The pace ace “Lala” as he is fondly called in the Indian team, has been phenomenal for India in the past few years. Mohammed Shami’s much-talked-about seam position is straight as an arrow and possibly the best in the world. This ability of his, helps him get movement off the pitch and nip back into the right-hander. Shami is a proper pace bowler who can exploit the conditions well and bring wickets for his team at key moments. His show in the WTC also has been right up to the mark where he has picked 40 wickets in only 11 games. Shami’s average in the championship is only 19.70 and has a strike rate of just under 40. These figures are really great considering he played many of the matches in India where there was not much help for the fast bowlers. Shami also proved his worth in the WTC final where he struck at the right time, keeping India in the match. 7) Mitchell Starc Mitchell Starc. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The tall pacer’s name is enough to instill fear in the batsman’s mind. Yes, that is the stature Mitchell Starc has created for himself. Strac’s skillset which includes sheer pace, bounce, and a bit of swing, makes him a complete bowler for Test cricket. Starc has been wonderful in the WTC cycle too. In the 10 matches played by him, Starc has scalped 44 wickets at a handsome average of 24.54. His strike rate is 46.4 which is also pretty good. Further, his best figures read 6/66, and has taken 5 wickets in an innings twice. Starc, along with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood forms a lethal fast-bowling trio that is one of the best in the world. Although Australia couldn’t reach the final of the WTC, Starc was sublime and is one of the best bowlers in the championship. 6) Kyle Jamieson Kyle Jamieson. (Photo by Gareth Copley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) The tall pacer has been phenomenal since the start of his career. Kyle Jamieson, who made his Test debut against India in 2020 has been the find of the championship. His height helps him extract bounce from the pitch and can also pitch it fuller consistently to find the batsman’s nick. In his short career, Jamieson has already picked 5 fifers in Test cricket, which is also the most in the WTC. In all, he has taken 43 wickets playing only 7 matches. His tally is one of the highest in the championship as he features in the top wicket-takers. His average while picking these wickets is mind-blowingly low at 12.53. Further, he picks a wicket after almost every 34 balls which is also impressive. He showed his class in the WTC final as he got Virat Kohli out twice and was also adjudged the man of the match. Thus, Jamieson has already achieved a lot in such a small span of time and has a bright career ahead of him. 5) Josh Hazlewood Josh Hazlewood. (Photo Source: Getty Images) If one wishes to learn what Test match bowling is, Josh Hazlewood is the one to be observed. Hazlewood is a proper Test match bowler who can hit the nagging line invariably and trouble the batsman. For such a wonderful ability which he possesses, Hazlewood is often compared to the Aussie great Glenn McGrath. Hazlewood thus keeps it simple and bowls the 4th or 5th stump line outside the off-stump patiently and waits to reap the rewards. Such a level of concentration has brought many wickets for him in the WTC too. Hazlewood has played 11 matches in the cycle picking as many as 48 wickets at an average of 20.54. His strike rate too is decent which reads 48.1. His best bowling figures are 5/8 which came against India in the Adelaide pink-ball Test. It was a lethal spell which the Indian fans will never forget as India bundled up for 36. 4)Stuart Broad Stuart Broad. (Photo by MICHAEL STEELE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The English veteran has been phenomenal for his side in the last few years. From getting hit for six sixes from Yuvraj Singh to taking 500 Test wickets for England, Stuart Broad has come a long way. Along with James Anderson, Broad forms a lethal pace duo who have won numerous matches for England. Broad makes proper use of English conditions as he has the ability to swing and seam the ball both ways. He really enjoys bowling to left-handers and we all saw him make David Warner his bunny in the 2019 Ashes, the inaugural series of the WTC. Among the top bowlers, Broad has played the most number of matches in the WTC which is an achievement as Test cricket demands high fitness levels. In 17 matches in the WTC, Broad has scalped 69 wickets at a staggering average of 20.08. His strike rate is 43.4 which is good enough too. He is the third-highest wicket-taker of the championship and is hence among the top 5 in this list. 3) Tim Southee Tim Southee. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images) The Kiwis are the inaugural WTC winners and Tim Southee has contributed immensely to achieve this title. He has been a part of New Zealand’s Test setup for quite a long time and has enough experience playing at home and also in foreign conditions. Southee is typically a swing bowler and gets the ball to move away from the right-hander and finds the edge in the process. He usually starts with the new ball and is almost unplayable in swinging conditions. He showed these skills in the WTC too, picking 56 wickets in 11 matches. He is among the top 5 wicket-takers of the cycle picking wickets at an average of 20.82 and a strike of 46.2. He has taken 3 five wicket-hauls and his best figures are 5/33. Southee played exceptionally well in the WTC final too as his 4 wickets in the 2nd innings pushed India behind in the game. 2) Ravi Ashwin Ravichandran Ashwin of India celebrates the wicket. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images) The wizard with the ball, Ravichandran Ashwin is one of India’s all-time spin great. Ashwin is a clever operator with a ball who can turn it big time and also deceive the batsman. His home record is phenomenal but recently he has also produced wonderful performances in overseas games. In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar trophy Down-Under, Ashwin bowled beautifully, getting the better of Steve Smith thrice and Marnus Labuschagne twice. Overall, Ashwin has been contributing immensely to India’s chances, picking 71 wickets in 14 matches making him the highest wicket-taker of the championship. He has picked these wickets at an average of only 20.33 and strike rate of 46.4. His best bowling figures of 7/145 came against South Africa in Vishakhapatnam 2019 and has scaped 5 wicket-hauls 4 times in total. Ashwin also has a lot of other international records to his name and has already achieved legendary status to quite an extent. 1)Pat Cummins Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Getty Images) At the top spot of this list, we have the currently top-ranked Test bowler. He is none other than Pat Cummins who has been exceptional in the longest format over the past 3 years. He is a gritty Test match bowler giving his very best at all times. He is the leader of Australia’s fast-bowling pack which incudes Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc apart from him. He is among the top wicket-takers in every series that he plays, his recent best coming against India in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar trophy. He picked 21 wickets in the 4-match Test series and was adjudged as the player of the series. He had also taken the most wickets in the WTC but was overtaken by R Ashwin in the final. In all, he has taken 70 wickets in a mere 14 matches at the WTC. His average is splendidly low at 21.02 and has a strike rate of 47.6. He is thus the best Test bowler currently and stands at the top of this list too.

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Ranking top 10 bowlers in the ICC WTC 2019-21

Ravi Ashwin stands as the highest wicket-taker in the remarkable list.

9) Anrich Nortje

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