Top 3 bowlers with the most Test wickets in a calendar year

2. Muttiah Muralitharan (90 wickets in 2006)

Muttiah Muralitharan

Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan claimed a mammoth haul of 90 wickets from 11 Tests in 2006. Murali’s wickets came at an excellent average of 16.90, and a strike rate of 39.2. He picked up as many as nine five-fors, and five 10-wicket match hauls in the year.

Murali’s best innings performance of 8 for 70 came against England at Nottingham. The hosts were chasing 325 for victory in the game, and the off-spinner ran through the clueless English line-up as they were bowled out for 190.

Murali knocked over a strong England top and middle-order comprising Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen.

His best match performance of 12 for 225 came against South Africa at the P Sara Oval in Colombo in 2006. Murali picked up 5 for 128 in the first innings as the Proteas posted 361. He did even better in the second innings with 7 for 97. Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher were among his big victims.

In a fascinating finish, Sri Lanka chased down 352 with one wicket in hand thanks to Mahela Jayawardene’s brilliant 123.

In the previous Test against South Africa at the SSC, Murali claimed 4 for 41 and 6 for 131 as Sri Lanka won by an innings and 153 runs. This was the same match in which Mahela Jayawardene (374) and Kumar Sangakkara (287) featured in the record stand of 624.

Murali also ended the year with 10 wickets in the Wellington Test (4 for 31 and 6 for 87) as the Lankans won the Test by 217 runs.