2021 has been a very special year in Test cricket compared to previous years. Ajaz Patel became the third player in the world to take all the wickets in an innings. Also, this year’s World Test Championship was held. New Zealand won the first round of the World Test Championship due to the strength of the fast bowling force against India.
The bowlers were among the best in the teams this year. Here are the highest wicket-takers on each team this year,
Zimbabwe – Blessing Muzarabani
Zimbabwe’s Muzarabani is the highest wicket-taker for his country this year. Muzarabani, who has played five matches this year, has taken 19 wickets with 22.36 average.
This year, Zimbabwe played three-Test match series against Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Muzarabani was the leading wicket-taker in all these three series.
His best bowling performance came against Afghanistan in the first Test of the two-match series. He picked four wickets in the first innings while giving away 48 runs. His bowling efforts helped Zimbabwe win the match by ten wickets. It was Zimbabwe’s first win since defeating Bangladesh in 2018.
West Indies – Kemar Roach
Roach is the highest wicket-taker for the West Indies this year. He took 27 wickets in 08 matches with average 23.88. He took seven wickets in the second Test of the West Indies tour of South Africa.
Kemar Roach made his Test debut back in 2009 as a 21-years-old lad. He was bowling at 150 kmph consistently and tested some of the best batters of that era with his bowling. However, an ankle injury cut short his career, and he ultimately found himself out of the West Indies Test squad in 2016.
He came back again in 2017 with some exceptional performances in domestic cricket. In 2017, he picked 25 wickets in seven matches at an average of 25.48. Since then, he has been a regular in the West Indies team and has enjoyed a lot of success.
Bangladesh – Taijul Islam
Islam is the highest wicket taker for Bangladesh this year. He took 30 wickets in six matches. Average 30.5
His best bowling efforts came against Pakistan in the first Test of Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh. He picked seven wickets in the first innings while giving away 116 runs, and bundled up the Men in Green for a score of 286 runs.
Sri Lanka – Lasith Embuldeniya
spinner Ambuldeniya is the highest wicket taker for Sri Lanka. He has taken 32 wickets this year. That’s 06 matches. The average is 27.21
South Africa – Anrich Nortje
Nortje has taken the most Test wickets for South Africa this year. He took 25 wickets in five matches at an average of 20.76.
Nortje had preserved the best for 2021 as he started this year with six wickets against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg. He picked another fifer against Pakistan when South Africa went there to play two Test matches.
Pakistan – Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi was the best bowler for Pakistan this year across all formats. He picked 47 wickets in nine matches and was the second-highest wicket-taker this year. The left-arm pacer never had an off day and looked really sharp in every game that he played.
Australia – Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins is one of the best bowlers in the world at this moment, Because he is currently the number one bowler in the world with 904 rating points. Cummins has taken 18 wickets in just three matches this year at an average of 18.83
New Zealand – Kyle Jamieson
Jemison is the highest wicket-taker for the New Zealand team. He has picked 27 wickets in 2021 in five matches at an average of 17.51. Jamieson has picked three five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul this year. In the World Test Championship final, Jamieson picked the fifth five-wicket haul of his career against India. He took a total of seven wickets and won the player of the match award for his performance.
The best bowling figure for Jamieson came in January against Pakistan as he picked five wickets in the first innings and six in the second. His bowling helped New Zealand to beat Pakistan by an innings and 176 runs.
India – Ravi Ashwin
Ashwin is the only bowler to cross the 50-wicket mark this year. Ashwin has taken 52 wickets in 08 matches at an average of 16.23 Also included are three five-wicket hauls.