1. Dale Steyn
When it comes to the best bowlers of the decades, South African legend Dale Steyn towers head and shoulders above the rest. Nagging injuries have restricted Steyn's appearances to 59 in the decades. But, when fit, he was mainly in a zone of his own. Steyn is among the rare breed of bowlers in world cricket who didn't need help from the surface to turn in match-winning performances. His pedigree is so excellent that he could make the most docile of pitches talk. And, when there was seam and bounce of offer, there were little batsmen could do to keep him at bay.
Some of Steyn's incredible performances came in away wins, which is why he is the clear winner of the Test bowler of the decade. In 10 away wins that the legendary pacer featured in, he picked up 66 wickets at a sensational average of 15.31 and a strike rate of 32.1. His best of 7 for 51 came against India at Nagpur in February 2010. Steyn's incredible spell of bowling gunned down India, as they fell from 221 for 5 to 233 all out
Matches -- 59, Wickets -- 267, Average -- 22.29, Strike Rate -- 43.9, Best Bowling in an innings -- 7/51
2. Nathan Lyon
Undoubtedly, Nathan Lyon is no Shane Warne. But, the fact that Lyon finds himself so high on the list speaks volumes of his grit and ability to maximize his potential. Taking over from Warne was unarguably an unenviable task for Lyon. But, with his book of wickets, the 32-year-old has created his legend in world cricket.
Like Ishant, Lyon's figures are not earth-shattering in any sense. However, he walked into a side that was entirely in rebuild mode as Australia lost one legend after the other to retirement. Slowly but surely, Lyon has turned into a world-beater, and with a few years still left in his kitty, he might even end up with 500 Test scalps, which will be a massive achievement from someone of whom incredible feats were never expected.
Matches -- 93, Wickets -- 370, Average -- 32.36, Strike Rate -- 64.5, Best Bowling in an innings -- 8/50
3. Ravichandran Ashwin
By the start of the decade, Harbhajan Singh's powers had begun to fade. In fact, in the 23 Tests that Singh featured in during the decade, he picked up 74 wickets at an average of 40.05. This is where Ravichandran Ashwin stepped in and took over the mantle of India's lead spinner rather seamlessly. His transition from IPL to Test cricket has been amazingly successful. 362 wickets in 70 Tests are returns any team would gladly accept. Ashwin has 27 five-fors in the decade, next only to Herath.
Ashwin's variations, especially his carrom ball, grabbed many headlines during his early years in international cricket. However, with batters beginning to read his wrong'un better with time, Ashwin has kept improving his repertoire and remains a match-winning wicket-taker, in combination with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, particularly at home. The constant endeavor to outdo opponents has seen Ashwin capturing seven ten-wicket match hauls.
Matches -- 70, Wickets -- 362, Average -- 25.36, Strike Rate -- 53.6, Best Bowling in an innings -- 7/59
4. James Anderson
James Anderson has been the leader of England's pace attack right through the decade and, along with Stuart Broad (398 wickets in 110 Tests), has done a commendable job for the team. His record in the decade speaks for itself -- 427 wickets in 105 Tests at an average of 24.19. Anderson and Stuart's board are the two leading wicket-takers of the decade. With their incredible success, they have taken the phrase hunting in pairs to an altogether different level.
However, if you wonder why Anderson doesn't feature at number one in the list despite the bucketful of wickets, it is primarily because of his average record in away wins. Anderson has only featured in 11 Tests that England has won away from home and had 41 wickets to his credit. While he maintains an impressive average of 24.85, he doesn't have a single five-for to his name. In an innings away, 4/43, Anderson's best came against West Indies at St George's in April 2015.
Matches -- 105, Wickets -- 427, Average -- 24.19, Strike Rate -- 54.7, Best Bowling in an innings -- 7/42
5. Rangana Herath
For a significant chunk of his Test career, Rangana Herath lived under the shadow of the illustrious Muttiah Muralitharan. However, once the legendary Sri Lankan retired, the left-arm spinner came into his own and became a match-winner himself. Herath is the fourth leading wicket-taker in the decade, with 363 wickets from 72 Tests at an average of 24.61. He picked up as many as 30 five-fors in the decade, the best of the lot.
Like Murali, Herath starred in numerous Test wins at home for Sri Lanka, utilizing the spinning conditions to the best of his ability. His accuracy while not getting wickets meant that the pressure was constantly on the batsmen. Herath's best of 9 for 127 came in Pakistan's first innings during the Colombo Test of August 2014. His 5 for 57 in Pakistan's second innings bowled Sri Lanka to a 105-run triumph. Herath thus finished with career-best match figures of 14 for 184.
Matches -- 72, Wickets -- 363, Average -- 24.61, Strike Rate -- 57.50, Best Bowling in an innings -- 9/127
YOU CAN ALSO VISIT
https://crickettimes.com/2020/01/year-wise-no-1-odi-batsmen-in-the-last-decade-2010-2019/
You must be logged in to post a comment.