Tests - Spin Bowlers With Best Averages

Top 50 Spin Bowlers With Best Averages In Tests

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All Test Stats on the website are from 01/01/1950 onwards (Know Why). They are updated till 2026-02-05. The first list simply gives you the bowlers with best averages in Test Cricket since 1950. The second list gives you the bowlers with best Relative Averages (R Ave).

CONTENTS
1. QUALIFICATION
2. TOP 50 SPINNERS WITH BEST AVERAGES IN TEST CRICKET
3. TOP 50 SPINNERS WITH BEST R AVE IN TEST CRICKET
4. BRIEF EXPLANATION
4.1. Dynamic Nature
4.2. Top Teams (TT)
4.3. Abbreviations

QUALIFICATION

Min Innings (Top Teams) 25
Min Wickets 75

TOP 50 SPINNERS WITH BEST AVERAGES IN TEST CRICKET

RANK BOWLER NAT INNS RUNS BALLS WKTS AVE
1 M Muralitharan SL 230 18180 44039 800 22.73
2 R Ashwin IND 200 12891 27241 537 24.01
3 RA Jadeja IND 167 8741 20241 348 25.12
4 SK Warne AUS 273 17995 40704 708 25.42
5 GAR Lock ENG 88 4451 13147 174 25.58
6 DL Underwood ENG 151 7674 21862 297 25.84
7 R Benaud AUS 116 6704 19108 248 27.03
8 HMRKB Herath SL 170 12157 25993 433 28.08
9 Saeed Ajmal PAK 67 5003 11592 178 28.11
10 Iqbal Qasim PAK 86 4807 13019 171 28.11
11 BS Bedi IND 118 7637 21364 266 28.71
12 AY Patel NZ 39 2623 5020 91 28.82
13 S Ramadhin WI 76 4579 13939 158 28.98
14 SCG MacGill AUS 85 6038 11237 208 29.03
15 RG Nadkarni IND 65 2559 9165 88 29.08
16 LR Gibbs WI 148 8989 27115 309 29.09
17 KA Maharaj SA 106 6370 12308 218 29.22
18 Mushtaq Mohammad PAK 70 2309 5260 79 29.23
19 Abdur Rehman PAK 43 2910 6892 99 29.39
20 SP Gupte IND 61 4403 11284 149 29.55
21 A Kumble IND 236 18355 40852 619 29.65
22 BS Chandrasekhar IND 97 7199 15963 242 29.75
23 Saqlain Mushtaq PAK 86 6206 14070 208 29.84
24 AA Mallett AUS 71 3940 9990 132 29.85
25 GP Swann ENG 109 7642 15349 255 29.97
26 NM Lyon AUS 262 17099 34832 567 30.16
27 PP Ojha IND 48 3420 7633 113 30.27
28 AL Valentine WI 63 4215 12953 139 30.32
29 EAS Prasanna IND 86 5742 14353 189 30.38
30 DR Doshi IND 55 3502 9322 114 30.72
31 SLV Raju IND 51 2857 7602 93 30.72
32 Taijul Islam BAN 102 7765 15310 250 31.06
33 R Illingworth ENG 100 3807 11934 122 31.20
34 NGRP Jayasuriya SL 41 3828 7163 122 31.38
35 Yasir Shah PAK 89 7657 14255 244 31.38
36 B Yardley AUS 58 3986 8909 126 31.63
37 Shakib Al Hasan BAN 121 7804 15675 246 31.72
38 FJ Titmus ENG 90 4931 15118 153 32.23
39 Harbhajan Singh IND 190 13537 28580 417 32.46
40 Mehedi Hasan Miraz BAN 98 6820 13164 210 32.48
41 Abdul Qadir PAK 111 7742 17126 236 32.81
42 PR Adams SA 76 4405 8850 134 32.87
43 Mushtaq Ahmed PAK 89 6100 12532 185 32.97
44 MJ Santner NZ 54 2603 5551 78 33.37
45 MJ Leach ENG 67 4838 9402 142 34.07
46 PH Edmonds ENG 84 4273 12028 125 34.18
47 ST Jayasuriya SL 140 3366 8188 98 34.35
48 DL Vettori NZ 187 12441 28814 362 34.37
49 MS Panesar ENG 85 5797 12475 167 34.71
50 TBA May AUS 45 2606 6577 75 34.75

TOP 50 SPINNERS WITH BEST R AVE IN TEST CRICKET

R Ave

Relative Average (R Ave) is a more accurate type of average. Know How It Is Calculated. Briefly it takes into account:-

  • Strength of Opposition.
  • Venues at which a player has played.
  • Time Period in which a bowler has been active
RANK BOWLER NAT INNS RUNS BALLS WKTS AVE R AVE
1 M Muralitharan SL 230 18180 44039 800 22.73 23.67
2 SK Warne AUS 273 17995 40704 708 25.42 24.24
3 R Ashwin IND 200 12891 27241 537 24.01 25.14
4 GAR Lock ENG 88 4451 13147 174 25.58 25.91
5 DL Underwood ENG 151 7674 21862 297 25.84 26.12
6 Saeed Ajmal PAK 67 5003 11592 178 28.11 26.18
7 RA Jadeja IND 167 8741 20241 348 25.12 26.24
8 KA Maharaj SA 106 6370 12308 218 29.22 26.47
9 NM Lyon AUS 262 17099 34832 567 30.16 26.93
10 GP Swann ENG 109 7642 15349 255 29.97 27.03
11 HMRKB Herath SL 170 12157 25993 433 28.08 27.50
12 RG Nadkarni IND 65 2559 9165 88 29.08 27.88
13 Iqbal Qasim PAK 86 4807 13019 171 28.11 27.88
14 AY Patel NZ 39 2623 5020 91 28.82 27.90
15 R Benaud AUS 116 6704 19108 248 27.03 27.98
16 AA Mallett AUS 71 3940 9990 132 29.85 28.27
17 BS Bedi IND 118 7637 21364 266 28.71 28.72
18 BS Chandrasekhar IND 97 7199 15963 242 29.75 28.72
19 Abdur Rehman PAK 43 2910 6892 99 29.39 28.75
20 LR Gibbs WI 148 8989 27115 309 29.09 29.03
21 SP Gupte IND 61 4403 11284 149 29.55 29.13
22 Mushtaq Mohammad PAK 70 2309 5260 79 29.23 29.17
23 A Kumble IND 236 18355 40852 619 29.65 29.48
24 SLV Raju IND 51 2857 7602 93 30.72 29.50
25 Yasir Shah PAK 89 7657 14255 244 31.38 29.69
26 MS Panesar ENG 85 5797 12475 167 34.71 29.88
27 SCG MacGill AUS 85 6038 11237 208 29.03 30.03
28 Mushtaq Ahmed PAK 89 6100 12532 185 32.97 30.26
29 MJ Leach ENG 67 4838 9402 142 34.07 30.36
30 MJ Santner NZ 54 2603 5551 78 33.37 30.40
31 B Yardley AUS 58 3986 8909 126 31.63 30.69
32 S Ramadhin WI 76 4579 13939 158 28.98 30.73
33 Abdul Qadir PAK 111 7742 17126 236 32.81 30.79
34 PP Ojha IND 48 3420 7633 113 30.27 30.86
35 EAS Prasanna IND 86 5742 14353 189 30.38 30.88
36 Saqlain Mushtaq PAK 86 6206 14070 208 29.84 30.94
37 JG Bracewell NZ 67 3653 8403 102 35.81 30.95
38 DR Doshi IND 55 3502 9322 114 30.72 31.13
39 PH Edmonds ENG 84 4273 12028 125 34.18 31.20
40 PL Harris SA 63 3901 8809 103 37.87 31.80
41 Shakib Al Hasan BAN 121 7804 15675 246 31.72 31.80
42 DL Vettori NZ 187 12441 28814 362 34.37 31.91
43 PR Adams SA 76 4405 8850 134 32.87 31.93
44 PCR Tufnell ENG 70 4560 11288 121 37.69 32.17
45 AL Valentine WI 63 4215 12953 139 30.32 32.30
46 R Illingworth ENG 100 3807 11934 122 31.20 32.33
47 Harbhajan Singh IND 190 13537 28580 417 32.46 32.40
48 JW Gleeson AUS 53 3367 8857 93 36.20 32.42
49 TBA May AUS 45 2606 6577 75 34.75 32.42
50 FJ Titmus ENG 90 4931 15118 153 32.23 32.48

BRIEF EXPLANATION

Dynamic Nature

Most of our ratings are dynamic, and as new matches are played, the rating of earlier bowlers may change if current bowlers set new benchmarks.

Top Teams (TT)

  1. An opposition is counted as a TT considering its Win/Loss (WL) Ratios in last 7 years.
  2. Home, Away, In Asia, Outside Asia and Overall WL Ratio is considered.
  3. The WL Ratio should be more than a certain value overall or in specific condition.

Abbreviations

  1. AVE - Average or Runs/Wkt
  2. BLS - Balls
  3. ER - Economy Rate or Runs/Over
  4. FF, 5WH - Five Fors or 5 Wkt Hauls
  5. FP - First Played by Year
  6. INF - Infinite
  7. INNS - Innings
  8. LP - Last Played by Year
  9. MDNS - Maidens
  10. MP - Middle Played or (FP+LP)/2
  11. NA - Not Applicable
  12. NI - Not In Top
  13. NK - Not Known
  14. NO, * - Not Out
  15. NQ - Not Qualified
  16. OPP - Opposition
  17. OVRS - Overs
  18. SR - Strike Rate or Balls/Wkts
  19. TS - Trend Setter
  20. TT - Top Teams
  21. WKTS - Wickets Taken

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