Cricket's pinnacle and ultimate format - 'The Test' - is stunning. It has several dimensions associated with it that make it second to none, and glorify its aesthetics. From the tough grind of five days, braving variable conditions and the ebbs and flows, to the sheer intensity of battles, the format is synonymous with life. It examines the players on their skills, tenacity, patience and perseverance. The real growth in a player occurs when the performance at the elite level is matched with consistency, and the red ball game is a great teacher of that subject. 

One such beautiful aspect of the longest format of the game is 'Pace Bowling'. Speed, thrill, goosebumps, fieriness, aggression, lethality, impact, etc, are some of the superlatives that describe it. Further, proverbs like 'Smell the Leather', 'Perfume Ball', 'Chin Music', among others, have been used as colloquial sayings in Test Cricket. They are all its indispensable parts.

A bowler, adorning the whites, marking his run-up, striding ahead with firm steps, the ball like a red cherry in his hands, arriving at the wicket and the popping crease, extending his levers, snapping his wrist, releasing the ball with immense pace to kiss the surface, and then that ball reaching the batter like a tracer-bullet, is a sight to behold.

Add to that the crowd rooting for him, and the entire scenario becomes a spectacle and a piece of art. It would be perfect to call it 'Poetry in Motion', after all, it's merely about rhythm, flow, momentum and resonance. The better these are, the higher the chances of the ball obeying the bowler's commands, making the batters dance accordingly with them. 

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This leads us to an intriguing question - 'Which has been the best pace bowling trio in the history of Test Cricket?' and how do numbers complement those players who are part of the said set. The eras that were decorated by their immaculate and fearful bowling, the comparison between them and their contemporary counterparts, and the legacy they had built for the current generations to take a cue from - all these shall aid in ranking the trios and provide an enriching insight into the folklore of bowling in Test Cricket. 

It is vital to mention that pace pairs are more common in a Test side. To support this assertion, one must look at the incisive swing bowling duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis of Pakistan, and the English pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Finding and getting three such bowlers involved in the same team is a rarity. This includes only pure quicks and excludes fast bowling all-rounders.

However, in the 1970s-80s, the West Indies team were blessed and privileged to have a deadly bowling arsenal which was a pentad - a set of five. It was made up of the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and Colin Croft. They featured regularly and bowled in tandem. Back then, there used to be no respite from any end. The batters did not get any discounts, and each one of those who faced them was like a deer in the headlights. 

Marshall, Garner, Holding

The trio of Marshall, Garner and Holding played 26 Test matches together and amassed 331 wickets at a frightening average of 22.51. They operated as a group for a span of 7-8 years during the 1980s. Their fast bowling exploits brought glory to the West Indies, and consequently, the team ruled the game by a handsome margin over others. 

Ambrose, Bishop, Walsh

During the 1990s, the Caribbean Test Cricket team boasted a potent trio of fast bowlers in Ambrose, Bishop, and Walsh. They shared their 412 wickets almost identically and democratically. They are, in fact, believed to be more lethal than their predecessors. 

McGrath, Gillespie, Lee

At the start of the century, Australia dominated World Cricket with elegance and pride. At the heart of the matter were the trio of McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee. In 22 matches, they scalped 243 wickets at an average of 28.47, as a unit. Moreover, among those 22 games, they won 15 and lost just three. 

Flintoff, Hoggard, Harmison

Going neck and neck with their arch-rivals, Australia, England put across an impressive pace trio of Flintoff, Hoggard, and Harmison. During the same period and in 33 matches together, they struck 383 times. At home, they were almost unbeatable as they recorded 11 wins, 3 draws and just one loss. This included the famous Ashes series win in 2005. 

Steyn, Morkel, Philander

In the phase between 2011 and 2018, South Africa's red-ball bowling was spearheaded by three of the best quicks of this generation. Steyn breathed fire with his impeccable 'seam and swing' skills, Philander was consistently sharp, incisive and immaculate with his line and lengths, and Morkel extracted steep bounce courtesy of his height. As a combination, they were a nightmare for the opposition batters and were responsible for the Proteas holding the Test Mace during this period. Additionally, they ensured a perfect away record, winning 13 tests together, outside South Africa.  

Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood

Australia's current big three in Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood have become the epitome of pace bowling and are recognised as ambassadors of Test Cricket. They bear a knack for searching for different yet successful ways to challenge the batters. Their presence has made their home, Down Under, a fortress and difficult to breach. Each one of them has bagged more than 150 wickets in 38 matches together, so far. Cumulatively, they have hunted down 466 batters by victimising them at an effectively paltry average of 24.50. 

Boult, Southee, Wagner

The New Zealand trio of Boult, Southee, and Wagner are statistically head and shoulders above everyone else. Playing together, in 40 matches, the Kiwis relished and dismissed the opposition batters an astounding 535 times, making them perish at an average of 25.98. They also possess symmetrical bowling numbers. Further, their mean of 13.38 wickets, together, per game makes them, hands down, way ahead of all the other names mentioned. 

Rashid Khan, Afghanistan's cricketing icon, has officially become a part of the Red Bull Athlete family in order to expand on his already impressive career. Rashid and the brand announced the news together, with Rashid announcing the news through a post and video on his official Instagram account. Red Bull also put out promotional material with Rashid so that they confirmed to both him and the world that he is in the family with some very prestigious company.

The leg spinning sensation now at the age of 26 joins the likes of international stars KL Rahul, Ben Stokes, Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis and Riyan Parag as a part of the Red Bull family, most notably became only the second Asian Cricketer after KL Rahul to join Red Bull, providing significant marker to statistics in Rashid's international appeal and marketability.

Rashid Khan's story is a wonderful one. Ever since making his Afghanistan debut back in 2015, Rashid has played a crucial part in taking Afghanistan from an emerging cricketing nation to a much more competitive nation on the international cricket world stage. Rashid Khan is one of the few players in the world who will definitely win matches for their team in a T20I cricket match. He has played key roles in top franchise leagues, including the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, and The Hundred, cementing his place as one of the hottest prospects anywhere in the world, and possibly the hottest player anywhere in world cricket.

Rashid Khan’s Red Bull Deal Marks New Era for Afghan Cricket’s Global Rise

Afghanistan’s cricket story is remarkable in itself. From competing in Division Five of the World Cricket League in 2008 to achieving full ICC membership in 2017, the team’s rise has been meteoric. Rashid has been central to this success, inspiring a new generation of Afghan cricketers while also serving as a global ambassador for the sport in his country.

Watch the video:

THE MAGICIAN OF AFGHANISTAN, RASHID KHAN. 🤯

- He joins the Red Bull Family...!!!! pic.twitter.com/OkvYfSiaef

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 9, 2025

Rashid has been announced as Red Bull's new athlete for his first partnership with global Red Bull. The collaboration follows a short hiatus from competitive play and Rashid's outstanding return performance in The Hundred 2025 against London Spirit, where he bowled a phenomenal 3/11, suggesting that he is back in amazing form. Rashid's competitive return comes with the Asia Cup slated for September 9 in the UAE, with the upcoming Tri-series with Pakistan and the UAE as prep, meaning that Rashid is leading Afghanistan into another exciting chapter. This tremendous partnership not only celebrates Rashid's previous achievements but also allows the world again to recognise the growth of Afghan cricket and Rashid as an ambassador and a champion.

Kumar Sangakkara and Virat Kohli are two huge names in international cricket. Having been the stalwarts of their respective nations in every game format in their playing days, they have left an indelible mark on the current and future generations. Both have been outstanding, prolific, and a cut above the rest. Their elegance was unmatchable, and the world was awestruck when the ball hit the sweet spot of their bats and raced towards the boundary. Their competitive nature added an extra bit of spice to the India-Sri Lanka encounters, and their camaraderie off the pitch was worth every bit of appreciation. Their batting prowess, coupled with immaculate leadership skills, elevated them to a legendary status. Records and statistics are genuine proof of that. 

Kumar bid adieu to Test Cricket on August 24, 2015. His last match in the longest format of the game was against India in Colombo as part of a two-match series. He was given a fitting guard of honour by the Indian side, and the entire moment was very emotional for him. His family was beside him on that occasion, and the whole of Sri Lanka and the cricketing world were proud to have seen a player of his calibre grace the field for as long as he did. This brought curtains to an illustrious international career and one that will inspire the next crop of budding cricketers for a very long time. 

Kohli, on the other hand, just recently announced his test retirement, leaving millions of cricket fans across the globe surprised. The news caught everyone off guard and was highly unexpected. The Indian veteran always loved to don the whites and was nothing short of an ambassador for the purest format of the game, even in the current T20 era. His passion, seriousness, and intrusive playing style made test cricket attractive again, and hence worth loving by fans of all ages. Under him, India excelled extremely well and made a name for itself on foreign soil. Virat has been a part of the cricket's 'Fab-4' for a long period. And his test records, including the number of tons and double tons he scored, made him arguably one of the greats in the five-day format.  

See Also: List of all Virat Kohli centuries in Test cricket

Curiosity arises among fans as to who has been a better red-ball player for their nation and between themselves. Virat or Kumar? A deeper dive into their test cricket statistics may help one answer that question. An interesting thing here would be their performances in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, and that shall conclude and reveal the better batter. 

Virat Kohli vs Kumar Sangakkara in SENA countries

The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batter and the Indian batting great have played a similar number of matches. The stark difference is in the runs they scored overall. The former leads the latter by around 3000 runs. Sanga's average is also better than Virat's, above the golden 50 mark and nearing 60. The Indian could accumulate 30 hundreds in his flamboyant career, eight less than Kumar's tally.  

Virat Kohli has scored more test centuries (19) in SENA countries than in India. In 84 innings, he scored 3,591 runs with an average of 43, making him the 3rd Asian batter with the most test runs there. For Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakkara is the highest run scorer in the SENA countries. In 59 test innings, he scored 2,526 runs with an average of 45, amassing 11 centuries as well. While Virat might have struck more runs and centuries on foreign soil in a greater number of innings, his average is yet just a tad less than that of Sanga's. 

The left-handed Lankan batter retired ten years before the right-handed Indian talisman. The statistics give a slight edge to the former, but no one can deny the evergreen presence of both players on their respective sides. Sanga mostly played in an era when T20 cricket was still setting foot on the stage, while Virat excelled in a time when the game became fast-paced and less patient. Both have been great servants for their nation, and the game desperately needs more legends and icons like them.