While the game of cricket has somehow always revolved around the batsmen, whenever a bowler comes up with a fierce spell, the spotlight shifts on him that instant and the player goes on take his name on the elite list of bowling records.
On the other hand, while every day we see a new batting record being made or broken with critics highlighting their importance, new bowling records are rare in comparison and this is why they are even more special.
With the introduction of T20 cricket, a new approach towards the has unearthed which has everything to do with going big with the bat on almost every delivery you face. While this has turned out to be a nightmare for bowlers, it has also given them a chance to attack and grab wickets to slow down the momentum of the handle bearers.
That said, with three formats in the game of cricket, just like batsmen, bowlers too have to change their approach towards the game in every format and there seldom comes a bowler who manages to become a life savior for the team, irrespective of the format he is playing in.
There goes a saying which says, ‘While batsmen set up a match, it’s the bowlers who will win you the game’.
On that note, here we take a look at the bowlers who have taken 5-wicket hauls in each format of the game.
Bowling Records: Bowlers With 5-Wicket Hauls In Every Format
Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka
- 5/80 against New Zealand in 2005 (Test)
- 5/68 against New Zealand in 2006 (Test)
- 5/50 against India in 2010 (Test)
- 5/46 against Pakistan in 2010 (ODI)
- 6/38 against Kenya in 2011 (ODI)
- 5/30 against Scotland in 2011 (ODI)
- 5/28 against Australia in 2011 (ODI)
- 5/54 against South Africa in 2012 (ODI)
- 5/52 against Pakistan in 2014 (ODI)
- 5/56 against Pakistan in 2014 (ODI)
- 5/31 against England in 2012 (T20I)
Umar Gul, Pakistan
- 5/31 against India in 2004 (Test)
- 5/123 against England in 2006 (Test)
- 5/65 against West Indies in 2006 (Test)
- 6/135 against Sri Lanka in 2009 (Test)
- 5/17 against Bangladesh in 2003 (ODI)
- 6/42 against England in 2010 (ODI)
- 5/6 against New Zealand in 2009 (T20I)
- 5/6 against South Africa in 2013 (T20I)
Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lanka
- 6/117 against India in 2008 (Test)
- 5/56 against India in 2008 (Test)
- 6/169 against West Indies in 2010 (Test)
- 6/99 against Bangladesh in 2014 (Test)
- 5/22 against the United Arab Emirates in 2008 (ODI)
- 6/13 against India in 2008 (ODI)
- 6/29 against Zimbabwe in 2008 (ODI)
- 6/16 against Australia in 2011 (T20I)
- 6/8 against Zimbabwe in 2012 (T20I)
Tim Southee, New Zealand
While Tim Southee’s only five-wicket haul in T20I came against Pakistan in 2010 at Auckland, where he claimed figures of 5-18, he has 6 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket and 2 in One Day Internationals.
Imran Tahir, South Africa
- 5/32 against Pakistan in 2013 (Test)
- 5/38 against India in 2015 (Test)
- 5/45 against West Indies in 2015 (ODI)
- 7/45 against West Indies in 2016 (ODI)
- 5/24 against New Zealand in 2017 (T20I)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- 5/82 against England in 2014 (Test)
- 6/82 against England in 2014 (Test)
- 5/33 against West Indies in 2016 (Test)
- 5/48 against New Zealand in 2016 (Test)
- 5/42 against Sri Lanka in 2017 (ODI)
- 5/24 against South Africa in 2018 (T20I)
When it comes to bowling records, a 5-wicket haul is a rare phenomenon in itself but these cricketers are among the handful of bowlers who fall in an elite league having picked up at least one 5-wicket hauls in all three formats of the game (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is).