Stats: Rangana Herath records 30th five-wicket haul in Test cricket
Herath, on an average, takes a five-wicket haul every 4.9 innings and 2.7 Tests.
Less than 24 hours after joining the 7-man list of players who have taken 250 wickets at home in Test cricket, Rangana Herath became the 5th bowler to take 30 or more five-wicket hauls on Saturday at the Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium against Zimbabwe.
As he picked Donald Tiripano’s wicket on the 2nd day morning, Herath accomplished a 5-wicket haul, his 30th in this format and went past Glenn McGrath who had 29 five-fers in his career. Herath needed 81 Tests to take 30 five-fers. Muralitharan needed 67 Tests while Richard Hadlee took 72. The leg-spinners, Anil Kumble and Shane Warne required 99 and 125 Tests respectively to register the 30th 5-fer of their career.
Most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket:
| Player | Teams | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | S/R | 5WI | 10WM |
| M Muralitharan | Sri Lanka / ICC World XI | 133 | 230 | 800 | 22.72 | 55 | 67 | 22 |
| SK Warne | Australia | 145 | 273 | 708 | 25.41 | 57 | 37 | 10 |
| Sir RJ Hadlee | New Zealand | 86 | 150 | 431 | 22.29 | 51 | 36 | 9 |
| A Kumble | India | 132 | 236 | 619 | 29.65 | 66 | 35 | 8 |
| HMRKB Herath | Sri Lanka | 81 | 147 | 378 | 27.8 | 60 | 30 | 7 |
| GD McGrath | Australia | 124 | 243 | 563 | 21.64 | 52 | 29 | 3 |
The 39-year-old left-arm spinner who was under Muttiah Muralitharan’s shadow for a major part of his career returned to the national team after the legendary spinner’s retirement and has not looked back since then having picked all his 30 five-fers in Tests after turning 30. Only Muralitharan (34 five-fers) has taken more five-wicket hauls in Test cricket than Herath after turning 30.
Most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket after turning 30:
| Player | Teams | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | S/R | 5WI | 10WM |
| M Muralitharan | Sri Lanka / ICC World XI | 60 | 110 | 388 | 22.02 | 50 | 34 | 12 |
| HMRKB Herath | Sri Lanka | 69 | 126 | 343 | 27.13 | 59 | 30 | 7 |
| Sir RJ Hadlee | New Zealand | 51 | 86 | 276 | 19.46 | 47 | 25 | 6 |
| SK Warne | Australia | 73 | 142 | 386 | 25.36 | 52 | 22 | 6 |
| CV Grimmett | Australia | 37 | 67 | 216 | 24.21 | 67 | 21 | 7 |
| SF Barnes | England | 23 | 43 | 163 | 16.46 | 42 | 20 | 6 |
On an average, he takes a five-wicket haul every 4.9 innings and 2.7 Tests. His ratio is the 6th best for any player with 15 and more 5-fers in Test cricket. England’s Sydney Barnes picked a 5-fer every 1.13 Tests and 2.08 innings; in other words, he used to take a 5-wicket haul in every Test match where he bowled more than once.
Lowest innings/five-wicket haul ratio in Test cricket:
| Player | Teams | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | S/R | 5WI | 10WM | Inns/5WI | Mat/5WI |
| SF Barnes | England | 27 | 50 | 189 | 16.43 | 42 | 24 | 7 | 2.08 | 1.13 |
| CV Grimmett | Australia | 37 | 67 | 216 | 24.21 | 67 | 21 | 7 | 3.19 | 1.76 |
| M Muralitharan | Sri Lanka / ICC World XI | 133 | 230 | 800 | 22.72 | 55 | 67 | 22 | 3.43 | 1.99 |
| R Ashwin | India | 49 | 92 | 275 | 25.22 | 53 | 25 | 7 | 3.68 | 1.96 |
| Sir RJ Hadlee | New Zealand | 86 | 150 | 431 | 22.29 | 51 | 36 | 9 | 4.17 | 2.39 |
| HMRKB Herath | Sri Lanka | 81 | 147 | 378 | 27.8 | 60 | 30 | 7 | 4.9 | 2.7 |
(Stats as on July 15, 2017)
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