Bumrah, Srinath, Dev, Sharma and Shami (Source: @BCCI/X.com)
The Indian cricket team has dominated Test cricket for the past decade, largely thanks to their pacers, who have bowled outstanding spells all around the world. In fact, not just on seam-friendly conditions, the Indian pace attack has delivered wonderful spells of fast bowling, even on flat surfaces back at home.
Recently, Indian pace superstar Jasprit Bumrah grabbed his 50th Test wicket on home soil in the ongoing first Test against the West Indies. Therefore, in this article, we will have a look at Indian pacers who have taken the fewest innings to reach 50 Test wickets at home.
4) 27 innings - Ishant Sharma
At joint fourth position on this list is tall Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma. The Delhi pacer, who was one of the experienced pacers in the attack for the better part of the last decade, has featured in 42 Test matches at home so far in his career, taking 104 wickets at an average of 31.64, where he has given runs at an economy of just 2.89 in India.
However, interestingly, Ishant picked up his 50th Test wicket at home in his 27th innings, against the West Indies, back in 2011 at the Eden Gardens, where he took two wickets in the second Test.
4) 27 innings - Mohammed Shami
At joint fourth position on this list is another Indian pacer who was way too good, Mohammed Shami. Currently out of favour from the Test side, Shami was once a key weapon for India during all home and away matches. Shami picked up his 50th Test wicket at home also in the 27th innings, where he played against South Africa in Ranchi during their 2019 match.
Overall in his career, Shami has managed to pick up a total of 229 scalps in 64 matches for India.
3) 25 innings - Kapil Dev
At the number three position is one of the most dominating Indian all-rounders and one of the visionary captains for the Indian side back in the era, Kapil Dev. The great Kapil Dev was called upon to play an instrumental role for India back in the day, as he managed to grab a total of 434 scalps in 131 matches, while in India, he alone managed to pick up 219 wickets in 65 games at an average of 26.49, where he maintained an economy of 2.85.
Hence, even years after his retirement, he still retains the top spot with most wickets at home among Indian pacers. Kapil's 50th Test wicket at home came against Pakistan in 1979, in the second Test held at Delhi. In this encounter, Kapil Dev picked up five wickets in the first innings, while he came back stronger in the second innings as well to grab a four-wicket haul, totalling nine wickets in the game as he got to the landmark in just 25 innings.
1) 24 innings - Javagal Srinath
The joint-fastest pacer to grab 50 wickets at home is Javagal Srinath. Srinath, who is one of the match referees in the ICC Elite panel, was once a menace with the ball. In 32 home Tests, he managed to take 108 wickets for the Indian side, while overall he has 232 wickets in 67 Test matches for India at an average of 30.49, with an impressive economy rate of 2.85.
Srinath only consumed 24 innings to reach the 50-wicket landmark at home, which came against Australia in 1998 at Eden Gardens, in the second Test of the series. Srinath was adjudged player of the match for his brilliant spells of three wickets each in both innings, as he helped India to victory by an innings and 219 runs.
1) 24 innings - Jasprit Bumrah*
Finally, the player with the most wickets at home in the fewest innings is the newly crowned Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah is the hardest bowler to face, not just in India but all over the world, where he has consistently carried his dominance across all three formats of the game. As of now, he has only featured in 13 Test matches at home, and in his 24th inning, he managed to pick up his 50th wicket on home soil, averaging 17.17, while sustaining an economy of 2.90. Bumrah, overall in his Test career, has taken 219 wickets in 48 matches, averaging just 19.82 with 15 five-wicket hauls.
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