Still, there have been several outstanding pacemen to have played for the main colossus, while India may not be famous for producing an excess of high-class fast bowlers down the years.
We look at the best medium pace bowlers in India test cricket and then rank them in order of brilliance.
Contents
- Medium Pace Bowlers In India Test Cricket
- Medium Pace Bowlers For Test Cricket In India
- List Of Medium-Pace Bowlers For Test Cricket In Indian Team
- Medium Pace Bowling Speed In Test Cricket
- Medium Pace Bowler In India At Present In Test Cricket
- 1. What is the medium pace bowling speed in a test match?
- 2. How many test matches have been played by Kapil Dev?
- 3. Is fast bowlers and medium fast bowlers same?
- 4. Who is the best Indian medium pacers in a test match?
Medium Pace Bowlers In India Test Cricket
Fast bowling is called pace bowling in the sport of cricket. Medium pace bowlers are slower, usually at around 70 to 79 miles an hour. Teams may also use medium pace bowlers in a one-day match where pace off the ball is seen as a better weapon than in test cricket.
Medium pace bowlers can use swing, seam, and upper body strength to generate bounce off the pitch. An actual example from the recent past is England’s Paul Collingwood, while Colin De Grandhomme of New Zealand is faintly more up-to-date.
Medium Pace Bowlers For Test Cricket In India
A right-arm or left-arm medium-pace bowler is the slowest out of all the pace bowlers. They are called ‘medium pacers,’ and their regular deliveries will often be between 100-120kph (60-75mph).
Medium pace bowlers rely on speed to get a batsman out. This type of bowler can be classified according to the average speed at which they bowl the ball. Most pace bowlers are medium-fast to fast in top-level cricket history. The best medium pace bowlers in India test cricket is former captain Kapil Dev.
List Of Medium-Pace Bowlers For Test Cricket In Indian Team
#1 Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev was India’s greatest best medium pace bowlers in India test cricket, with an unrivaled 434 test wickets and 253 ODI scalps collected across an outstanding 16-year international career.
In 1994 Kapil did decide to call it quits; he left the game as the leading wicket-taker in test cricket. He surpassed Richard Hadlee’s total of 431 victims, with the all-rounder being voted India’s cricketer of the century in 2002 on the back of that achievement. He also captained his country to their first World Cup triumph at Lord’s in 1983.
The medium-pace bowler will be best for his accurate, consistent, and ever-nagging out swingers delivered close to the wicket at a brisk pace and brilliant stamina that permitted him to bowl for long spells and get the maximum.
Name | Kapil Dev |
Year | 1978-1994 |
Total Matches | 131 |
Runs | 12867 |
Total Wickets | 434 |
Average | 29.64 |
Strike Rate | 63.9 |
Economy Rate | 2.78 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 9/83 |
Best Bowling in Match | 11/146 |
5 Wickets | 23 |
10 Wickets | 2 |
#2 Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan was mainly inconsistent with the ball and troubled by hamstring and back injuries.
But, after a career-changing in county cricket with Worcestershire in the summer of 2006, Zaheer took 78 wickets. Zaheer’s real skill was not about how much he got the ball to swing but also a significant part of the armory he could exert.
After that he was consistent and became the wicket taking bowler in all occasions. He became the much needed medium pace bowlers in India test cricket.
Name | Zaheer Khan |
Year | 2000-2012 |
Total Matches | 92 |
Runs | 10247 |
Total Wickets | 311 |
Average | 32.94 |
Strike Rate | 60.4 |
Economy Rate | 3.27 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 7/87 |
Best Bowling in Match | 10/149 |
5 Wickets | 11 |
10 Wickets | 1 |
#3 Javagal Srinath
Srinath was deceptively quick for an Indian seamer, perhaps even the fastest his country produced. He made excellent use of the off-cutter in the first part of his career in subcontinental conditions. He got older and wiser, introducing the away swinger into his armory, making him twice as effective as a bowler.
Srinath improved with age, as demonstrated by his eye-catching displays for his country in his swansong at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
Name | Javagal Srinath |
Year | 1991-2002 |
Total Matches | 67 |
Runs | 7196 |
Total Wickets | 236 |
Average | 30.49 |
Strike Rate | 64.0 |
Economy Rate | 2.85 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 8/86 |
Best Bowling in Match | 13/132 |
5 Wickets | 10 |
10 Wickets | 1 |
#4 Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar was a brilliant, often under-rated, fast-medium bowler. He was troubled by injury at various points throughout his career. There was no doubt preventing him from going on to make the most of his abilities with the ball.
In the 50-over game, it is mainly his eye-catching form that sees Agarkar make this list, where he picked up 288 wickets in total in his 191 matches. And I also included, at the time, the fastest player ever to have captured 50 ODI victims.
Name | Ajit Agarkar |
Year | 1998-2006 |
Total Matches | 26 |
Runs | 2745 |
Total Wickets | 58 |
Average | 47.32 |
Strike Rate | 83.7 |
Economy Rate | 3.39 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 6/41 |
Best Bowling in Match | 8/160 |
5 Wickets | 1 |
10 Wickets | 0 |
#5 Venkatesh Prasad
Venkatesh Prasad’s main strength was his ability to move the ball both ways. In 1996 it had a significant effect when he toured England.
His most potent spell ever came against arch-rivals Pakistan in Chennai in the opening test match of the 1999 series.
Name | Venkatesh Prasad |
Year | 1996-2001 |
Total Matches | 33 |
Runs | 3360 |
Total Wickets | 96 |
Average | 35.00 |
Strike Rate | 73.3 |
Economy Rate | 2.86 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 6/33 |
Best Bowling in Match | 10/153 |
5 Wickets | 7 |
10 Wickets | 1 |
Medium Pace Bowling Speed In Test Cricket
Medium-pace bowlers will generally average out at between 80 and 87 mph. Many of them will be able to beat 90 mph at times, but these will be rare, surprise deliveries, and you would not see these kinds of speeds regularly.
Type | mph | km/h |
---|---|---|
Fast | 86+ | 138+ |
Fast-Medium | 80 to 85 | 130 to 137 |
Medium-Fast | 75 to 80 | 121 to 130 |
Medium | 60 to 75 | 96 to 120 |
Medium-Slow | 50 to 60 | 80 to 96 |
Slow-Medium | 40 to 50 | 64 to 80 |
Slow | <40 | <64 |
Medium Pace Bowler In India At Present In Test Cricket
#1 Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya was an India all-rounder. He is open to the possibility of playing test cricket but has added that with both T20I and ODI World Cups coming up, his focus is now on white-ball cricket. He is considered the best medium pace bowlers in India test cricket .
Name | Hardik Pandya |
Year | 2017-2018 |
Total Matches | 11 |
Runs | 528 |
Total Wickets | 17 |
Average | 31.05 |
Strike Rate | 55.1 |
Economy Rate | 3.38 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 5/28 |
Best Bowling in Match | 6/50 |
5 Wickets | 1 |
10 Wickets | 0 |
#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not been selected for the Indian team for the tour of England because he does not want to play test matches. He was an excellent medium-pace bowler. The cricket team decided that he won’t be pushed to play test cricket before the T20 World Cup and has first to play three-four first-class games.
Name | Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
Year | 2013-2018 |
Total Matches | 21 |
Runs | 1644 |
Total Wickets | 63 |
Average | 26.09 |
Strike Rate | 53.1 |
Economy Rate | 2.94 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 6/82 |
Best Bowling in Match | 8/96 |
5 Wickets | 4 |
10 Wickets | 0 |
#3 Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav was an Indian fast bowler who doubted whether he could play 100 test matches and give his best to stay fit and play as many matches as possible. He expressed that the feeling of playing a test match for India is different.
Name | Umesh Yadav |
Year | 2011-2022 |
Total Matches | 52 |
Runs | 4867 |
Total Wickets | 158 |
Average | 30.80 |
Strike Rate | 52.1 |
Economy Rate | 3.54 |
Best Bowling in Innings | 6/88 |
Best Bowling in Match | 10/133 |
5 Wickets | 3 |
10 Wickets | 1 |
Medium Pace Bowlers In India Test Cricket FAQ
1. What is the medium pace bowling speed in a test match?
Medium pace bowlers bowl at a speed of 120-145 kph.
2. How many test matches have been played by Kapil Dev?
Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has played 131 tests before retiring.
3. Is fast bowlers and medium fast bowlers same?
We differentiate bowlers based on their bowling speed, so a fast bowler can also bowl at medium fast bowler speed to deceive the batsman.
4. Who is the best Indian medium pacers in a test match?
Venkatesh Prasad is the best Indian medium pacer as he varies his pace and take crucial wickets.
Conclusion – Medium Pace Bowlers In India Test Cricket
Medium pace bowler describes a style of bowling, intermediate in speed between spin and pace, in which the bowler uses swing or seam to take wickets. In my article, I have explained the best medium pace bowlers in India test cricket.