5 prolific bowlers who never picked 10 wickets in a Test match

Throughout Test cricket's rich history, there are many great bowlers who have emerged on the scene and produced some unforgettable performances. Apart from being a menace for the batsmen, these men were also prolific wicket-takers who helped their respective teams achieve considerable success.

While most of the successful bowlers in the longest format have managed to pick up 10-wicket match hauls, a few of them have been unable to achieve this feat. Among these are bowlers who were among the best of their generation but somehow missed out on taking 10 wickets in a Test.

Here are 5 prolific bowlers who never picked 10 wickets in a Test match:

5. Jason Gillespie (Australia)

Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie managed to hold his own in a team which consisted of greats like Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Although Gillespie was a fine bowler across both Tests and ODIs, he was certainly at his best in the longest version of the game.

In 71 Tests that he played for Australia, the towering Aussie pacer grabbed 259 wickets and an impressive average of just over 26. Gillespie's tally of wickets included 8 five-wicket hauls and he had best innings figures of 7 for 37. However, the one statistic that eluded him was that of claiming 10 wickets in a match.

Jason Gillespie's 9 for 80 against India at Nagpur in 2004 remained his best in Test cricket.

4. Darren Gough (England)

Darren Gough was England’s top bowler at one point

Before the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad became the mainstays of the English bowling attack, it was former fast bowler Darren Gough who led the way for them. Gough played 58 Tests in his career and racked up an impressive tally of 229 wickets. This included 9 five-wicket inning hauls and top figures of 6 for 42.

The England speedster, however, was never able to record a 10-wicket match haul throughout his career. Darren Gough did manage to claim 9 wickets in a match on a few occasions and his finest Test match figures were 9 for 92 against New Zealand at Wellington in 1997.

3. Brett Lee (Australia)

Brett Lee picked up more than 300 Test wickets

Former Australian paceman Brett Lee is surely one of the quickest bowlers of all time and had a successful international career. Although he excelled much more in the 50-over format, Lee was also one of the better Test bowlers of his time. In fact, Lee had a smashing debut in the 5-day format as he picked up a five-wicket haul in his very first innings.

The New South Wales cricketer represented Australia in 76 Tests between 1999 and 2008. During this period, he took 310 wickets with 10 five-fors and a best innings haul of 5 for 30. However, Lee never succeeded in picking up 10 wickets in a match, his best being 9 for 171 against the Kiwis at Adelaide.

2. Bob Willis (England)

Bob Willis is one of England cricket's icons

Iconic fast bowler Bob Willis is among the greatest bowling legends in English cricket history. Willis is fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers for the country behind the trio of James Anderson, Ian Botham and Stuart Broad. The lanky Englishman is considered to be among the most intimidating bowlers of his time.

Willis played 90 Tests as part of the England team in a career that lasted 13 years. He claimed 325 wickets at an average of slightly over 25 and had as many as 16 five-wicket hauls under his belt. Surprisingly, though, Bob Willis was never able to record a tally of 10 wickets in a match.

His greatest figures in Test cricket were 9 for 92 against New Zealand at Headingley in 1983.

1. Joel Garner (West Indies)

Joel Garner is among the most feared bowlers of all time

'Big Bird' Joel Garner belongs to the golden generation of West Indian fast bowlers who dominated world cricket at a certain point of time. With his 6 foot 8 inch frame, Garner is one of the most dreaded figures to have set foot on a cricket field. Apart from being a feared bowler, the West Indies legend was also a prolific wicket-taker.

In the 58 Tests that Joel Garner played, he claimed 259 wickets at a highly impressive average of just below 21. During his career, he recorded 7 five-wicket hauls and had best innings figures of 6 for 56. But despite all his greatness, Garner failed to claim a 10-wicket match haul in Test cricket, his top match stats being 9 for 108 against England in 1984.