Top 10 Most successful fast bowling pairs in Tests

Top 10 Most successful fast bowling pairs in Tests: Test cricket is the toughest form of cricket for bowlers especially the fast bowlers. Only the teams which have quality fast bowlers have the chance of bowling out the opponents twice. It is a very famous saying that bowlers hunt in packs, and more often then not enjoy much success together. These pairs have been exceptional, if one would mount the pressure, the other would reap the wickets and they did return the favors. Here we look at the Top 10 Most successful fast bowling pairs in Tests: 10. Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock – 390 wickets: Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock. (© Popperfoto/Getty Images) Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock was one of the best fast bowling pairs in Test cricket for South Africa. Donald was fast and bowled with great control while Shaun Pollock swung both ways. Both of them have bowled together in 83 innings and picked 390 wickets. They picked wickets at an average of 21.66. Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald were special; they extracted good bounce and pace on wickets that had very little help. Also Read – Top 10 fastest deliveries ever bowled in international cricket 9. Ian Botham and Bob Willis – 476 wickets: Ian Botham and Bob Willis. (© Getty Images) Ian Botham and Bob Willis was another good fast bowling pair in Test cricket. Botham was an all-rounder while Willis bowled fast and with aggression. Both of them bowled together in 105 innings and picked 476 wickets. They picked wickets at an average of 25.01. Botham and Wills never allowed the opposition to score runs with ease and picked wickets regularly. 8. Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie – 497 wickets: Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie. (© ROB ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images) In the golden period for Australian cricket, they had a golden bowling pair. Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie were among the best fast bowling pairs in Test cricket. McGrath bowled with consistent line and length where Gillespie created pressure from the other side. Both of them have bowled in 110 innings and picked 479 wickets together. They picked wickets at an average of 23.00 which made them tough to face and the batsmen were never really able to score big runs against them. 7. Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini – 487 wickets: Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini formed a really good bowling pair for South Africa in Tests. Pollock relied on his swing and Ntini bowled with pace. The Polly-Ntini duo has bowled together in 119 innings and have picked 487 wickets. They got their wickets at an average of 26.25. Even today the two stand as one of the most successful fast bowling duos in Test cricket. 6. Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis – 501 wickets: Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis. (© Gallo Images/Getty Images) Jacques Kallis’ one of the finest all-rounder’s world cricket has seen was a really key bowler for the South African team over the years. Shaun Pollock who has formed decent bowling pairs with almost all the bowlers he has played with also had success bowling along with Kallis. The duo bowled along in 148 innings and picked 501 Test wickets. They picked wickets at an average of 26.20. 5. Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis – 502 wickets: Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis. (© ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images) This right arm – right arm pace bowling combination of Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis troubled the best of the batsmen around the world with their variety. The two of them were not very similar to each other but enjoyed great success as a pair. Bowling along in Tests they grabbed 502 wickets in 159 innings and they picked the wickets at an average of 31.04. 4. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel – 504 wickets: Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. (© LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel happen to be the one among the two bowling pairs in the list which is still active in Test cricket today. Steyn has pace and loves to swing the ball while Morkel is someone who likes to hit the deck hard and extracts extra, surprising bounce with his height. The duo has played and is playing a crucial role in South Africa’s success in Test cricket at home and abroad. They have bowled along in 111 innings picking 504 wickets with an average of 25.00. 3. Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram – 555 wickets: Wasim Akram & Waqar Younis. (© SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) A legend and a legend, this is how one has to define the bowling combination of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. If we go on to tick boxes for the attributes a fast bowler needs to possess, the others section will still have a few specifications mentioned. The two had pace, swung the ball, were intelligent fast bowlers, introduced and mastered reverse swing and ruled the bowling charts for years. Waqar and Wasim bowled in tandem in 107 innings and accounted for 555 wickets together. 2. James Anderson and Stuart Broad – 577 wickets: Stuart Broad & James Anderson. (© Getty Images) If there is a bowler in world cricket today who has the best control over the red cherry it undoubtedly has to be James Anderson. Jimmy’s bowling partner Stuart Broad who came along as a decent bowler but was not seen as someone who would last as long as he has done. Anderson and Broad have bowled along in 138 innings and have dismissed 577 batsmen. This is by far the most successful bowling combination for England in Tests. 1. Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose – 757 wickets: Courtney Walsh & Curtly Ambrose. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The toppers of this list are from an era where fast bowlers were furious, dangerous and raw, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose wreck havoc on batsmen, no matter which team they played for and no matter how good others considered them to be. This bowling pair until date holds the record for sharing most wickets together. Walsh and Ambrose got rid of as many as 757 batsmen from just the 173 innings that they paired together in. Also Read – 11 Greatest bowling partnerships in Cricket (All Stats Updated Till 27th October, 2015)