This article examines the dominance of elite bowlers against left-handed batters in Test cricket, highlighting the record-breaking performances of Ravichandran Ashwin and other legendary wicket-takers.
Bowlers with the most left-handed dismissals in Tests
| Player | Innings | LHB wickets | Average | Total career wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) | 198 | 268 | 19.85 | 537 |
| Jamesh Anderson (ENG) | 335 | 221 | 28.01 | 704 |
| Nathan Lyon (AUS) | 227 | 200 | 24.11 | 567 |
| Stuart Broad (ENG) | 291 | 193 | 30.62 | 604 |
| Tim Southee (NZ) | 197 | 148 | 30.24 | 391 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 133 | 138 | 29.18 | 800 |
| Dale Steyn (SA) | 159 | 136 | 28.57 | 439 |
| Trent Boult (NZ) | 145 | 135 | 24.89 | 317 |
| Harbhajan Singh (IND) | 169 | 133 | 34.18 | 417 |
| Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 184 | 132 | 25.01 | 424 |
| Zaheer Khan (IND) | 160 | 131 | 29.41 | 311 |
Key insights on the most successful bowlers against left-handed batters
Individual milestone records of top wicket-takers
Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed the most left-handed batters in Test cricket, claiming 268 wickets against them – exactly half his career total.
Aswin became the first bowler in the sport’s history to reach the milestone 200 Test wickets specifically against left-handed batters.
Among the fast bowlers is James Anderson holds the record for most wickets against left-handers, with 221 scalp (consisting of 31.39% of his career total). Here are the hitters dismissed most often by Anderson.
The top five hitters most likely to be dismissed by Aswin are all left-handed, led by Ben Stokeswhom he fired 13 times in 29 turns.
Aswin is the only bowler to have dismissed five different left-handed batters 9 or more often in test matches.
Find out here which batters are dismissed most often by Ashwin.
Performance analysis by discharge type and average
Ravichandran Ashwin maintains the lowest bowling average against left-handed batters in Test history at 19.85 (minimum 2000 balls thrown).
James Anderson leads the charts for sacks against lefties, with 154 of his 221 wickets came via catches. Find all of Anderson’s records here.
Aswin has recorded the highest number of bowlings (51) and LBW (69) dismissals against lefties in the longest format.
Nathan Lyon And Muttiah Muralitharan are the only two bowlers to have achieved this 10 or more stumpings against left-handed batters in Tests.
Stuart Breed established a legendary dominance over it David Warner, rejecting the Australian opener 17 time– the most a single bowler has dismissed a specific left-hander.
Historical calendar year and consistency records
Other legendary bowlers in this category include David Warner, James Anderson, Alastair CookAnd Tom Lathamwho figure prominently in the mutual records of top spinners and pacers.
The record for most left-handed sacks in a single calendar year is held by Ravichandran Ashwinwho took 37 wickets in 2015.
Aswin (with 31 wickets in 2016) and England Graeme Swann are the only two bowlers who can take 30 or more wickets against left-handers in two separate calendar years.
Graeme Swann achieved his feat of two years by taking 35 wickets in 2009 And 30 wickets in 2010.
To see: Most Test wickets in a calendar year
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