The second edition of the ICC World Test Championship witnessed Australia defeating India on the fifth day of the final to win their ninth ICC title. Moreover, the tournament turned out to be more dominant in the favor of bowlers.
Thus, the whole championship was full of top performances from the bowlers. From spinners to pacers, numerous unforgettable moments were observed by the fans. However, only a few managed to portray their bowling flair with consistent panache. Thus, without further ado, come with us as we take a look at the top 5 bowlers of the WTC 2021-23 Cycle.
#5 James Anderson
James Anderson is an eminent example of fine wine. The injuries that a fast bowler has to go through in his career are second to none. However, the longevity of Anderson’s test career at the top level is astonishing. Pairing up with his old friend, Stuart Broad, the English bowler becomes insurmountable.
The Veteran English bowler grasped 58 wickets in 15 matches with an average of 20.37, also, he managed to take five or more wickets on a couple of occasions. England’s batting was their strong point throughout the ICC World Test Championship, however, their bowling was equally distressing.
During the 2021–22 Ashes, the Australian batters absolutely annihilated the bowling line-up of England and won the series 4-0. The series would have resulted in a complete whitewash, however, the fourth test resulted in a draw following the heroics of Zak Crawley.
#4 Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins was brilliant with the ball as he was one of the best bowlers in the cycle
Pat Cummins led Australia to their first World Test Championship title after the Kangaroos took down India in the final of the ICC tournament. The Australian all-rounder took 67 wickets in the second edition of the World Test Championship, as four of them came in the final against Australia.
Cummins was the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the WTC 2021-23 Cycle, however, he found a place above the likes of James Anderson because of his mental ability. The Australian Captain took five wickets on three occasions in the championship and his best figures were 5/38, which came against England, in the well-documented Ashes.
Interestingly, Cummins was the highest wicket-taker of the Ashes Series 2021–22 with 21 dismissals. Thus, it’s evident that Pat Cummins has been doing a great job as a bowler as well as a skipper. Moreover, joining forces with Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc makes him way more lethal. However, after the massive setback, the Poms still managed to end their campaign in the fourth spot, below the likes of Australia, India, and South Africa.
#3 Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada was the second-highest wicket-taker in the World Test Championship 2021-23 Cycle with 67 dismissals in just 13 matches. The Proteas right arm fast bowler also carried the South African cricket team on his back on a number of occasions during the campaign. However, they failed to make it through the final as they ended their campaign in the third spot, below Australia and India respectively.
However, Rabada’s pace was a massive challenge for all the batters throughout the WTC 2021-23 Cycle. Playing at the Centurion against the West Indies, the South African pacer demolished the Caribbean side to help the Proteas record a decent win. After South Africa’s second inning ended after just 28 overs at a total of 116, thus, their bowlers had the responsibility of snatching the victory from West Indies’ mouth.
And it’s fair to say, that they managed to do the rightful, especially with the help of Kagiso Rabada. In his spell full of yorkers and bouncers, the right-arm pacer leaked only 50 runs and dismissed a total of six batters in 15 overs. Thus, Kraigg Brathwaite’s side failed to chase the target of 247 and lost the match by 87 runs.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin’s experience helped the Indian cricket team capture a handful of wins that seemed impossible at a certain juncture
Rohit Sharma might have a heavy heart following not naming their best bowler, Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing XI against Australia in ICC World Test Championship Final. Going with three pacers (Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj) and Shardul Thakur, the Indian Cricket team went with only spin option, Ravindra Jadeja. The prominent reason behind the decision was India’s last WTC final against the Blackcaps, which was played in overcast conditions.
In 13 matches, the Indian Right-arm off-spinner took 61 wickets in 13 matches for India in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship. The bowling all-rounder was like a cheat code for the Indian Cricket team as he was performing flawlessly on almost all the grounds, especially in the subcontinent. Moreover, as the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup will be taking place in India, Ashwin will play a major role in the playing line-up.
His best bowling performance was witnessed against Australia in Ahmedabad at the fourth test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Following centuries from Cameron Green and Usman Khawaja, the Aussies were on their way to a majestic total, however, Ravi Ashwin had other plans. He took six wickets conceding 91 runs in 47 overs, and also bowled a total of 15 maiden overs. Hence, his absence from the final line-up raised a lot of questions.
#1 Nathan Lyon
Test cricket has always been a format dominated by fast bowlers, however, this time, the spinners turned out to be the most lethal. The Australian bowling line-up is one of the most treacherous in world cricket.
Consequently, in the second edition of the World Test Championship, Nathan Lyon acted as their lynchpin. The Australian off-spinner took 88 wickets and became the most successful bowler of the World Test Championship 2021-23 Cycle. Moreover, the 35-year-old broke numerous records in the campaign. His best performance was witnessed in the third test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In the first innings, he picked up three wickets conceding only 35 runs in his spell. However, in the second innings, he sent eight batsmen back to the pavilion, including the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Cheteshwar Pujara ending the Indian innings on a low total of 163.
Moreover, in the final, Lyon dismissed Rohit Sharma who was looking strong since he stepped on the field. Moreover, he also broke India’s back in the first session on the fifth and last day of the Oval test by taking the wickets of KS Bharat, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj.