Test cricket and fast bowling when gets going there is no better sight on the planet to observe anything. From bowling-friendly tracks to batting-friendly tracks there has been a huge change in a game of cricket. It's a dream of a player to play for his nation in whites as long as possible. The genuine trial of a player is measured by how effective the player is in the longest format of a game – Test cricket.
In a period of T-20 Cricket or limited-overs Era the Existence of Test cricket has nearly reached a conclusion. Be that as it may, no what it will stay at the pinnacle of Cricket. Records in test Cricket are often rated more prominent than of different formats of the game. It is difficult to bowl in test cricket as it needs incredible abilities, flexibility and potential from a bowler. The enormity of a bowler in a test cricket is dictated by the spells and execution in a game. Often records are made to be broken in cricket and records of a fastest 200 wicket was broken down in the recent times.
Let us take a look at the top 5 bowlers who have reached fastest to the 200 wickets:
1. Yasir Shah – 33 Matches:
33 matches 200 wickets. 82-year-old record held by Clarie Grimmett of Australian leg-spinner was broken by the Pakistani leg-Spinner on 6th December, 2018. This was the special achievement for Yasir Shah as no one in history has such a feat under his name in the minimum test matches.
Out of his 224 test wickets 117 wickets came in just 17 tests while playing in the spin-friendly tracks of UAE at an average of 23.97. Playing the third test match against New Zealand in the second innings Yasir Shah trapped Will Somerville in front of wickets in the fourth day of the final test match of the series at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The Australian leg-spinner achieved the milestone in 1936 while playing against South Africa in Johannesburg in the 36th test match of his career to get the 200th wicket. Will it be interesting to see how long Yasir Shah will hold this record in the future?
2. Clarie Grimmett – 36 Matches:
The first ever cricketer in the history to reach the milestone of 200th wickets in 36 matches. Born in New Zealand but played for Australia. During the initial days of his career he was more interested in fast bowling although his schoolmaster told him to work spin bowling skills rather relying and focusing on fast bowling.
What's next was the finest spinners of all-time in history. As Clarie Grimmett decided to move to Australia in 1914 who was the sporting superpower at that time. The idea of flipper delivery was started by Clarie Grimmett first which we see these days in cricket.
While playing for Australia for more than 10 years Clarie Grimmett took 216 wickets in just 37 matches as a spinner. In modern day cricket usually spinners don't play that long as clarrie Grimmett played for Australia.
Clarie Grimmett played his last test series against South Africa in 1935, and his spin partner Bill O'Reilly once said it was Don Bradman behind his reason for Clarie Grimmett retirement from Cricket.
3. Ravi Chandran Ashwin – 37 Matches:
The next one in the list is Indian spin wizard. Ashwin has started his career in batting-friendly conditions. So having such a milestone is a great achievement for him. Although Ashwin is the fastest Indian bowler in the history to reach 50th, 100th , 150th, 200th, 250th and 300th wicket in a test cricket which was the reason in 2016 when Ashwin became ICC cricketer of the year.
Ashwin is a match-winner for team India and won many games single-handedly with his spin variations. Ashwin has taken 334 wickets in 64 tests and has a lot more to offer but in the recent few years the selection criteria of team India is not right giving up too many chances to the youngsters and keeping the world-class player on bench for long is a not way to treat a player of such calibre. Ashwin can break many records if he plays longer and may end up near 600 wickets too.
4. Waqar Younis – 38 Matches:
Former Pakistani fast bowler Waqar Younis is next in the list. If Pakistan was successful in the 1990s then Waqar Younis Was one of the big reasons for that. The idea of reverse swing was started by him. Waqar Younis had done everything a fast bowler would dream about in his career.
Waqar Younis took 373 wickets in just 87 tests and formed the most fearsome bowling pairs of all-time in the history along with Wasim Akram. Waqar Younis took the 200th test wicket in the 38th test match of 6th year of his career.
The youngest ever Pakistani captain in test cricket at the age of 22 and third youngest captain in the history. From toe crushing Yorkers to Insane reverse swing delivery he was the reason many batting collapsed in the 1990s.
5. Dennis Lillee - 38 matches:
The next one in the list is without a doubt Dennis Lillie. The man behind the Idea of fast bowling in an era of greatest batting stalwarts from early 1970s to the mid 1980s. Dennis Lillie along with his partner Jeff Thompson was the complete nightmare for any batsman in the world in his era.
Dennis Lillie during the early days of his career was very quick bowler but due to the back injuries in his career was reason another fast bowler career had ended way early. Over the years, Australians have been dominating and difficult to beat because of the Never-say die attitude started by Dennis Lillie in an era when test cricket was at its peak.
Dennis Lillie just took 38 matches to achieve this milestone of 200th wicket in 9th year of his career and ended his remarkable career at 355 wickets in 1984 which was the world-record in that era as the greatest Australian Speedstar ever in their history.
