Test cricket has produced many great bowlers who have won matches with their bowling skills. But with the bat, they could not score much. Courtney Walsh registered the most ducks in test cricket history. He got out on zero for 43 times in 185 innings. He is followed by Stuart Broad, Chris Martin, and other bowling legends.
In this blog, we will explore such bowling legends who have gotten the most ducks in test cricket history.
Top 10 Batters With Most Ducks in Test Career
Here is a list of the top 10 batsmen with the most ducks. Bowlers, especially fast bowlers, entirely dominate this list. As they are tailenders and don’t have the skills to bat, they usually become an easy trap.
| No. | Player Name | Team | Span | Ducks | Matches (Innings) | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 1984-2001 | 43 | 132 (185) | 936 | 7.54 |
| 2 | Stuart Broad | England | 2007-2023 | 39 | 167 (244) | 3662 | 18.03 |
| 3 | Chris Martin | New Zealand | 2000-2013 | 36 | 71 (104) | 123 | 2.36 |
| 4 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 1993-2007 | 35 | 124 (138) | 641 | 7.36 |
| 5 | Ishant Sharma | India | 2007-2021 | 34 | 105 (142) | 785 | 8.26 |
| 6 | Shane Warne | Australia | 1992-2007 | 34 | 145 (199) | 3154 | 17.32 |
| 7 | James Anderson | England | 2003-2024 | 34 | 188 (265) | 1353 | 8.96 |
| 8 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 1992-2010 | 33 | 133 (164) | 1261 | 11.67 |
| 9 | Zaheer Khan | India | 2000-2014 | 29 | 92 (127) | 1231 | 11.95 |
| 10 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 2018-2025 | 28 | 47 (73) | 337 | 6.6 |
1. Courtney Walsh: 43 Ducks
Courtney Walsh was one of the greatest fast bowlers. In his long test career, he picked up 519 wickets at an average of 24.44 in 132 matches. He was the first ever bowler in history to cross 500 Test wickets.
On the other hand, his batting was a different story, he holds the record for 43 ducks and averaged just 7.54. But with the ball, he was a force, like many on the list of players with the most wickets in Test series, and in 2010, he was rightfully inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
2. Stuart Broad: 39 Ducks
Stuart Broad was a match-winner with the ball, with over 600 Test wickets. He also surprised the cricketing world with the bat, smashing 169 against Pakistan in 2010.
However, he has registered the most ducks in test cricket as an English batter. He ended his test career with 39 ducks, the second-most in Test history.
3. Chris Martin: 36 Ducks
Chris Martin was a bowler every captain wanted. He could swing the ball beautifully and always gave his best.
In just 71 Tests, he picked up 233 wickets. When it comes to batting, he managed to score only 123 runs in 104 innings at an average of 2.36. He also had 36 ducks in his name.
4. Glenn McGrath: 35 Ducks
Glenn McGrath was a fast-bowling machine. He bowled with laser accuracy and took 563 wickets in 124 Tests.
With the bat, though, his average was just 7.36, and he had 35 ducks.
5. Ishant Sharma: 34 Ducks
Ishant Sharma was India’s main pace attacker for over a decade. He bowled his heart out, especially in tough overseas tours.
As he dismissed batsmen, he also got out on duck 34 times in 105 Tests. Although he grabbed 311 wickets, he could score only 785 runs at an average of 8.26 in more than 100 matches.
6. Shane Warne: 34 Ducks
Shane Warne changed the game for leg-spinners. In 145 Tests, he took 708 wickets.
Although primarily a bowler, Warne enjoyed batting. He played as a bowling all-rounder, scoring over 3,000 runs with 12 fifties, narrowly missing a century with a 99. While known for his spin, he appears alongside some legends on the list of the fastest bowlers in the world, and also had 34 ducks to go with his crucial runs.
7. James Anderson: 34 Ducks
Stuart Broad teammate and friend James Anderson was also a bowling legend. With 700+ Test wickets, he’s the most successful fast bowler ever.
With the bat, he was a fighter. He once batted over 55 minutes to save a Test in 2014. But he also had 34 ducks and an average of 8.96.
8. Muttiah Muralitharan: 33 Ducks
Muttiah Muralitharan took 800 Test wickets, more than anyone in history.
But with the bat, he always disappointed his team. He averaged 11.67 with 33 ducks in his batting account.
Want to know about all the different types of ducks in cricket and what they mean?
9. Zaheer Khan: 29 Ducks
Zaheer Khan has taken 311 wickets in Tests.
Although he possessed batting capabilities, scoring 1,231 runs in 92 tests, with 29 test ducks.
10. Jasprit Bumrah: 28 Ducks
Jasprit Bumrah is the best bowler India has ever had in test cricket history. With a unique action and deadly yorkers, he has dominated every cricket-playing country.
As good as Bumrah is at bowling, he is bad at batting. He has 28 ducks in just 73 innings, with an average of just 6.60. Yet, we can’t forget his 35-run over against Broad in 2022 in England.
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Conclusion: Will Bumrah Surpass Courtney Walsh
Among the top 10 players with the most ducks in Test cricket, Courtney Walsh leads with 43 ducks, followed by Stuart Broad (39) and Chris Martin (36). Despite these numbers, each bowler made a historic impact with the ball — Walsh with 519 wickets, McGrath with 563, Muralitharan with 800, and Warne with 708.
Currently, Jasprit Bumrah (28 ducks) is the only active player in this list. Given Bumrah’s duck count in just 73 innings, he could surpass the 30-duck mark soon. If he continues to play over the next few years, he might even challenge 43 ducks of Courtney Walsh.
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