Throughout their history, the Australian team has had many great bowlers who could win matches. Australia, known for its fast and bouncy wickets, has produced some scary fast bowlers and a few well known spinners. The Australian bowling lineup has always done well and has won many matches for the team.
While all bowlers need to work together to win a test match, some have taken most of the wickets and earned a place in history.
Top 5 Highest Wicket-Takers in Test Cricket for Australia
5. Denis Lillee – 355 wickets
Denis Lillee, one of the fastest bowlers ever, took 355 wickets in 70 tests at 23.92. He had 23 five-fors in his test career.
Lillee and Jeff Thompson were one of the most successful bowling pairs in the 70s and 80s.
His best bowling was 7/83 against West Indies in 1981 at the MCG. Lillee was not just a great bowler but also a useful lower order batsman at 15.4.
4. Mitchell Starc – 402 wickets
Left arm quick bowler Mitchell Starc is one of the scariest pacemen in the world. Known for his in-swingers, Starc has been a key part of the Australian test team since 2011.
Starc has 402 wickets in 100 tests at 27.02. He has 16 test five-fors. His best bowling was 6/9 against West Indies in 2025.
3. Nathan Lyon – 562 wickets
Nathan Lyon is called the “GOAT” and is Australia’s most successful off spinner with 562 wickets in 139 tests at 30.14.
Lyon’s control is his biggest asset. He is the only specialist bowler to play 100 consecutive tests for Australia.
His control over the run rate at 2.94 has helped his bowling partners do well.
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2. Glenn McGrath – 563 wickets
Glenn McGrath, known for his amazing line and length, is Australia’s most successful fast bowler in test cricket with 563 wickets. Called ‘Pigeon,” McGrath had 29 five-fors in his 14 year career.
McGrath took 563 wickets in 124 tests at 21.64. His best bowling was 8/24 against Pakistan in 2004 in Perth.
1. Shane Warne – 708 wickets
Shane Warne, a well known leg spinner, is Australia’s most successful test bowler with 708 wickets. He is second only to Muttiah Muralitharan (800) for most test wickets.
What makes Warne special is he did so well as a leg spinner, playing 69 of his 145 tests on Australian wickets that help pace bowlers.
Warne took 708 wickets at 25.41, 37 five-fors, most by an Australian bowler. He is loved by leg spinners around the world. Sadly, Warne passed away in March 2022.
