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The India vs England Test series will start this Thursday (January 25) in Hyderabad. It will be the first World Test Championship (WTC) series of the year 2024 for England. India played a WTC match against South Africa earlier this month, where they recorded a memorable win in just two days.
The rivalry between India and England is one of the oldest in Test cricket history. Both teams have been quite dominant in their respective home conditions. The upcoming series will take place in India, a place where England have not won a Test series in the last decade.
Before Ben Stokes leads his men in the first Test in Hyderabad, here's a look at the five England bowlers who have scalped the highest wickets against India in Test cricket's history.
#5 Ian Botham - 59 wickets
Regarded by many as one of the greatest all-rounders of all time, Ian Botham scalped 59 wickets in Tests against India. The 68-year-old player represented the English team in 14 Test matches against India from 1979 to 1982.
In those 14 games, he accounted for 59 wickets, with his best figures being 7/48. He maintained an economy rate of 2.77, while his bowling average was 26.40.
#4 Derek Underwood - 62 wickets
Only four bowlers have scalped 60 or more wickets for England in Test matches against India. One of them is left-arm spinner Derek Underwood, who was popularly known as 'Deadly'.
Underwood played 20 Tests against India from 1971 to 1982. He bowled in 36 innings and scalped 62 wickets at an economy rate of 2.04. The spinner bagged a five-wicket haul in a Test match hosted by Kanpur back in 1973.
#3 Bob Willis - 62 wickets
Late English fast bowler Bob Willis also bagged 62 wickets in Test matches against India. The right-arm pacer donned the whites in 17 Tests against India, where he bowled in 30 innings.
In those 30 innings, he picked up 62 wickets and maintained an impressive bowling average of 23.24. His best spell against India (6/53) came in a Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium back in 1977. Interestingly, India still won the game by 140 runs.
#2 Stuart Broad - 74 wickets
Stuart Broad was one of the main pace bowlers for the English team in Test cricket for a long, long time. He played 24 Tests against India from 2008 to 2022, accounting for 74 wickets.
Many fans would remember Broad's hat-trick against India in a Test match played at Trent Bridge back in 2011. His hat-trick helped the home side win by 319 runs.
#1 Highest-wicket taker in India vs England Tests - James Anderson, 139 wickets
Only one bowler has bagged more than 100 wickets in Test matches between India and England. He is James Anderson, who will also play in the upcoming series. Anderson has picked up 139 wickets in 35 Tests against the Indian team.
While Anderson has taken 139 wickets in 66 innings, he has never picked up more than five wickets in a Test innings against India. It will be interesting to see if he can do it for the first time in the upcoming series.
