5 prominent Indian bowlers who did not claim a Test five-fer in England

The Indian cricket team is in England for a five-match Test series, which will be held from June 20 to August 4. The series will begin with the opening Test in Headingley. The subsequent matches will be played at Edgbaston, Lord's, Emirates Old Trafford and Kennington Oval. Before the start of the Test matches, India will play a four-day practice game in Beckenham from June 13 to June 16.

The India-England Test series will be part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India will be led by a new captain in Shubman Gill after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket last month. The visitors will be without the services of Virat Kohli as well, who has also retired from the Test format.

In the bowling department, India won't have the skills of Mohammad Shami, who was declared unfit for the long tour. While some star bowlers from India have performed impressively in Tests in England over the years, a number of big names have disappointed as well. In this feature, we look at five prominent Indian bowlers who did not pick up a Test five-fer in England.

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#5 S Venkataraghavan

Former India off spinner S Venkataraghavan, who was part of the famous spin quartet, played 10 Test matches in England, but never claimed a five-fer. Venkataraghavan picked up 20 wickets in England at an average of 41.05. His innings best of 4-52 came at Lord's in July 1971. The former spinner also picked up 3-89 in Manchester (August 1971) and 3-59 at The Oval (August 1979).

In his Test career, Venkataraghavan claimed 156 scalps in 57 matches, averaging 36.11, with three five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul. His best innings figures of 8-72 were registered against New Zealand in Delhi in March 1965.

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#4 Javagal Srinath

Former India pacer Javagal Srinath also surprisingly does not have a Test five-fer in England. However, he only played three Tests in England during his career. All of his three Tests came during the 1996 tour.

In five innings, Srinath, now an ICC match referee, claimed 11 wickets at an average of 39.36. His best innings figures of 4-103 came in Birmingham. He also claimed 3-76 at Lord's.

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#3 Erapalli Prasanna

Erapalli Prasanna, another member of India's famed spin quartet, also ended his career without a Test five-fer in England. The former off spinner played five Tests in England between 1967 and 1974. He claimed 12 wickets at an average of 58.08.

Prasanna's best Test innings figures in England were registered in Birmingham in July 1967 when he claimed 4-60 in 24 overs in the second innings. In the first innings of the same Test, he picked up 3-51 in 20 overs. In his overall Test career, Prasanna picked up 189 scalps in 49 matches at an average of 30.38.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

Former India off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket midway through the Australia tour last year, also failed to pick up a Test five-fer in England. He played seven Tests in England between 2014 and 2021, claiming 18 wickets at an average of 28.11.

Ashwin's best innings figures in a Test in England were registered in Birmingham in August 2018. He claimed 4-62 in 26 overs in the first innings and followed it up with 3-59 from 21 overs in the second essay. Ashwin ended his Test career with 537 wickets in 106 matches at an average of 24, with 37 five-fers.

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#1 Anil Kumble

Indian bowling legend Anil Kumble also ended his magnificent career without a Test five-fer in England. The former India captain played 10 Tests matches in England between 1990 and 2007, claiming 36 scalps at an average of 41.41.

Kumble's best innings analysis of 4-66 in England came at Leeds in August 2002. He picked up the four-fer in the second innings to go with his 3-93 in the first innings as Team India registered a famous triumph by an innings and 46 runs.

Kumble claimed three-fers in both innings of the Lord's Test in 2002 and repeated the feat in Nottingham in 2007. The spin bowling great ended his magnificent Test career with 619 wickets in 132 matches at an average of 29.65, with 35 five-fers.