Most instances of spinner taking first wicket of an innings in Tests

In Test cricket, bowlers have a huge task of getting their team off to a good start by breaking the opening partnership. Mostly seamers are considered to do the job for their side by picking a wicket and giving an early blow to the opposition. However, there have been some spin bowlers who have had a knack for picking the first wicket of the innings and bringing the opposition on the back foot early on in the innings. On that note, let’s take a look at the top three spinners with the most instances of taking the first wicket of an innings in Tests:

3. Muttiah Muralitharan (43 times)

The legendary Sri Lankan spinner appears in almost all lists of bowling records in the longest format of the game. Muralitharan boasts a record 800 scalps to his name from 133 matches at an outstanding average of 22.72 and an economy of 2.47. Apart from coming in the middle and sparking collapses, Muralitharan also opened the account for Sri Lanka by picking the first wicket on 43 occasions.

2. Anil Kumble (49 times)

The legendary Indian wrist-spinner is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket, with 619 scalps to his name from 132 matches at an average of 29.65. Kumble was the leader of the Indian spin attack for the majority of his career and picked the first wicket of an innings on 49 occasions, which makes him rank second on our list.

1. Ravichandran Ashwin (53 times)

Ravichandran Ashwin is arguably the greatest spinner of the modern era as he has a massive 489 wickets to his name from 94 matches at an average of 23.65. Ashwin has been the most potent spinner in the world in the past few years and has also taken the first wicket of an innings 53 times in his career so far, making him rank on top of the list.