One of the most enduring thing to watch in cricket is when fast bowlers hunts in pair. The likes of Kapil Dev, Richard Hedlee hunt solo but that lack the romance of partnership where two bowlers are combine together with some devastating touch to collapse the batting order of opponent side.
The English pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad of more recent times has included in the legendary group of fast bowling pairs. They have collectively claimed 737 wicket in 96 test matches only behind Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh who claimed 762 in 95 amongst the fast bowling partnership.
Fast bowling is an art and the English pair are certainly master of this art. Their scintillating performance throughout every series has proved that they are the most prolific pairs in recent times. They two have turn around the upset situation into a match winning performance time and again to take their team across the line. They are lethal particular at home, single-handedly out casting every opponent and the occasional success away from including a notable one at South Africa. Unsurprisingly they both have taken 400 wickets in 51 matches altogether with 11 five-wicket hauls in this five-year period. The 35-year-old Manchester lad has slightly better figure than his partner Broad, taking more than 200 wickets at an average of 24.02.
MOST SUCCESSFUL BOWLING PAIRS IN TEST
- Curtly Ambrose & Courtney Walsh – 762 in 95 matches
- James Anderson & Stuart Broad – 737 in 96 test matches
- Wasim Akram & Waqar Younis – 559 in 61 test matches
- Dale Styen & Morne Morekal – 516 in 61 test matches
- Shaun Pollack & Mkhaya Ntini – 490 in 63 test matches
- Glenn McGrath & Shaun Pollock – 484 in 58 test matches
RECENT CASES PROVING TWO BETTER THAN ONE OTHER THAN ENGLISH PAIR
Trent Bolt and Tim Southee – The Black cap pair has done some commendable job in recent years taken 301 wickets together in just 37 matches. Like Broad and Anderson they are masters at swinging new ball and the old one both ways at a very decent pace.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – The right and left arm combination have nicely shouldered the pace responsibilities of Australia’s test side in last couple of years. Starc is injected to produce decent pace with some sizzling reverse swing on the other hand Hazlewood, in the McGrath mould, operates as a tireless workhorse using his great skills of nagging the ball into the right area with subtle movement of the pitch. The Aussie pair has taken 202 wickets in 22 test matches.
Dale Styen and Morne Morkel – The South-African duo is the most eligible pair who can rightly be compared to Broad and Anderson in effect. The partnership was settled nicely for many years that marked South Africa’s all-round dominance in Tests. The 34-year-old was a master at conjuring magic out of nowhere, in unfavourable condition for fast bowlers and on the other hand tall and awkward Morne Morkel with help of high arm action produces some great moment for his team. The Proteas were undefeated in all test series barring the one in 2014 against Australia- between February 2009 and October 2015 producing one of their finest moment in the history of test match. The perfect pairing managed to take staggering 516 wickets in 61 test matches together.