Tuesday, October 27, 2015

De Villiers' heroics and India's finishing woes

South Africa beat India for the first time in a bilateral series in India and they did it in grand style. The Proteas rang up a record score on Indian soil of 438 and essentially batted India out of the contest, winning the game by 214 runs.
File picture of AB de Villiers. AFP
File picture of AB de Villiers. AFP
The rest of the series was much closer though. South Africa won the first game by a mere five runs before India rebounded to win a comparatively low-scoring second ODI. South Africa went back in front after claiming a tight third game, where their bowlers got the better of India's batsmen at the death. With the series on the line in Chennai, India's batting finally clicked and they coasted to victory to set up the series decider in Mumbai
Unfortunately for the home side, that only set up South Africa's record-setting romp, with Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers all scoring centuries.
It was the tenth time the last match of a bilateral series involving at least five matches (involving India) decided the fate of the series. India have now won four and lost six of these encounters.
Last-match-being-the-series-decider-(involving-India)
On-following-two-instances-the-last-match_s-result-ensured-the-series-would-end-in-a-draw
The series provided only the second instance of all matches in a series (five matches or more) being won by side batting first. The only other time this happened was in Pakistan-South Africa series in the UAE in 2013.
***
A look at the performance of two teams on various parameters should make interesting reading. This is how two teams performed with the bat in the series:
Batting-performance-in-the-series
This-is-how-two-teams-scored-their-runs-in-the-series-_-both-in-absolute-terms-and-percentage-wise
South Africa consumed fewer dot balls and hit more boundaries, whereas India were slightly ahead in taking ones, twos and threes.
This is how two teams scored their runs in various phases of the innings – first 10 overs, middle 30 overs and last 10 overs. South Africa were ahead of India in all the three phases.
This-is-how-two-teams-scored-their-runs-in-various-phases-of-the-innings-_-first-10-overs-middle-30-overs-and-last-10-overs-South-Africa-were-ahead-of-India-in-all-the-three-phases
South Africa players topped the batting and bowling charts for the series.
Leading-batsmen-in-the-series
Leading-bowlers-in-the-series
South Africa’s 438 for 4 in the fifth ODI is now the highest total by any team against India. It is also the highest ODI total on Indian soil and the joint-third highest total in all ODIs.
Highest-ODI-totals
Highest-ODI-totals-vs-India
Highest-ODI-totals-on-Indian-soil
A total of 400 has now been scored on 17 occasions in ODIs. South Africa have done this most often – six times, followed by India (5). Australia and Sri Lanka have made 400-totals twice each, whereas New Zealand and England have done it once each.
Three batsmen scored hundreds in South African innings at Wankhede – Quinton de Kock (109), Faf du Plessis (133*rh) and AB de Villiers (119). In the entire history of one-day internationals, it was only the second time that three batsmen scored hundreds in the same innings. The only other instance had come earlier this year when Hashim Amla (153*), Rilee Rossouw (128) and AB de Villiers (149) scored hundreds together against West Indies at Johannesburg. South Africa ended with 439 for 2- their highest ODI total.
The South African innings included as many as 20 sixes – the second most ever hit in an ODI innings. The record is 22 by New Zealand against West Indies at Queenstown in 2014.
Most-sixes-in-a-team-innings
272 runs came in boundaries in South Africa innings – the most in an ODI innings. The previous record was 256, shared by Sri Lanka and Australia.
Most-runs-from-boundaries-in-an-ODI-innings
India went on to lose the match by a whopping 214 runs. This is India’s biggest defeat on home soil and second biggest in all ODIs. This was also the third biggest defeat suffered by a Test playing team at home.
Indias-heaviest-ODI-defeats
Indias-heaviest-ODI-defeats-at-home
Heaviest-defeats-at-home-soil
It was AB de Villiers’ brilliance that made all the difference in the end. How often do you see one batsman dominating the proceedings as much as De Villiers did in this series? Most runs (358), most 100s (3), most sixes (20), highest average (89.50) and highest strike-rate (134.59) – AB topped all these lists.
De Villiers’ three hundreds in the series are the joint-most by a batsman in a series against India, along with West Indies’ Chris Gayle.
Most-hundreds-in-a-series-against-India-in-India
And De Villiers has done so while leading the side. No other captain has scored more than a hundred in a series against India. In fact, De Villiers provided the first instance of a captain scoring three hundreds in a bilateral series in ODI history.
The 11 sixes hit by De Villiers at Wankhede are the most by any batsman in a one-day international against India. West Indies’ Kieron Pollard (Chennai, 2011) and Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews (Ranchi, 2014) had hit 10 sixes.
The 20 sixes hit by AB de Villiers in the series are the most by any batsman in a series against India. Australia’s Glenn Maxwell had hit 16 sixes in 2013-14.
De Villiers raced to his hundred off just 57 balls at Wankhede, which is the fastest for South Africa against India. AB de Villiers bettered his own record. He had taken 58 balls to score his hundred at Ahmedabad in 2010. Only Shahid Afridi has scored a faster ODI hundred against India than De Villiers – off 45 balls- at Kanpur in 2005 (Australia’s James Faulkner also took 57 balls to score his hundred at Bangalore in 2013).
Fastest-ODI-hundreds-for-South-Africa-vs-India
De Villiers has now scored 23 ODI centuries – most by a South African batsman. He surpassed Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amla’s tally of 21 hundreds during the series. Only four batsmen – Tendulkar, Ponting, Jayasuriya and Sangakkara- have scored more hundreds than de Villiers (Kohli also has same number of hundreds against his name).
Most-ODI-hundreds
Amazingly all 23 of de Villiers’ hundreds have come at a strike-rate of 100 or more. Among all batsmen with 10 or more ODI hundreds against their name, only one other batsman has scored all his hundreds at run a ball. Pakistan’s IjazAhmed is distant second with 10 hundreds at a strike-rate of 100 or more.
AB has now scored 8 hundreds off 75 or fewer balls – most by any batsman. India’s Virender Sehwag has six such hundreds.
Some other records made by AB de Villiers in the series:
AB has now scored seven ODI tons on Indian soil- most by any overseas batsman (Chris Gayle has six)
AB has now scored six tons against India – most by any batsman in India-South Africa ODIs (Tendulkar has five)
AB’s five tons are the most by any batsman against India in India. Ricky Ponting, Marlon Samuels, Salman Butt and Chris Gayle have scored three apiece.
Four of AB’s five tons against India have come as captain, which are the most by any captain against India, along with Ricky Ponting. Interestingly Ponting took 35 innings to do so, while AB did so in just 10 innings.
AB has now scored five tons as captain in 2015 – most by any captain in a calendar year (equalling the record held by Ganguly (2000), Ponting (twice in 2003 and 2007) and Graeme Smith (2005)
Among all players with 500 ODI runs, AB is the only one with an average of more than 50 and a strike of more than 100.
***
As opposition batsmen went berserk at Wankhede, Indian bowling had to suffer. All of India's main bowlers had an economy rate over seven, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar completing an ignominious century. Bhuvneshwar’s figures of 10-0-106-1 are in fact the most expensive for an India bowler in a one-dayer.
Most-runs-conceded-by-an-Indian-bowler-in-an-ODI
Most-expensive-figures-in-an-ODI
South Africa scored 144 runs off last 10 overs, which are the most India have ever conceded in last 10 overs (41-50) of an innings. The previous record was 135, also against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2013.
Most-runs-conceded-by-India-in-last-10-overs-(41-50)
Virat Kohli had a quiet series by his standards, but he accomplished a rare feat. Before the start of the series, Kohli had scored a ODI hundred against all Test playing teams except South Africa. With a match-winning hundred at Chennai, Kohli completed the set. Only four other players have achieved this distinction of scoring an ODI hundred against every Test playing side.
Surprisingly, it’s not Sachin Tendulkar, who completed this feat first. Tendulkar, in fact, completed the set in his penultimate match with his first hundred against Bangladesh. Ricky Ponting was the first batsman to accomplish this feat, followed by Hershelle Gibbs, Tendulkar, Hashim Amla and now Kohli. Amla took the fewest innings, while Tendulkar took the most.
ODI-hundreds-against-all-other-9-Test-playing-teams
Least-innings-taken-to-score-ODI-hundreds-against-all-other-9-Test-playing-teams
For the first time in his career, Amla did not score a fifty in a series of four or more matches. Amla, however, became the quickest to 6000 run-mark in ODIs during the Mumbai ODI. Amla wrested the record from Virat Kohli who took 136 innings to reach this mark. With this, Amla now holds the record of being the quickest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 run-marks in ODIs.
Quickest-to-6000-run-mark-in-ODIs
Quinton de Kock seems to have a special liking for India. In just nine ODIs against them, de Kock has scored 667 runs at an average of 74.11 with 5 hundreds. Every time he has crossed 50 against India, he has converted it in to a hundred! Against other opponents he has moderate returns.
Quinton-de-Kock-in-ODIs
Least-innings-taken-to-score-5-hundreds-vs-a-particular-opponent
With eight hundreds, de Kock has now equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring most ODI hundreds before turning 23. Sachin has played more than double of innings De Kock has played.
Most-ODI-hundreds-before-turning-23
Other important records / milestones achieved during the series:
- In the first ODI at Kanpur, Ravichandran Ashwin became the 33rd Indian to appear in 100 or more ODIs.
- During the first ODI, Hashim Amla became the fifth batsman to score 1000 runs in this calendar year, joining Kane Williamson (1317), Martin Guptill (1287), Ross Taylor (1014) and Tillekaratne Dilshan (1003).
- In the first one-dayer at Kanpur, AB de Villiers became the fourth South African to aggregate 1000 runs against India in ODIs after Jacques Kallis (1535), Gary Kirsten (1377) and Herschelle Gibbs (1064). By the end of the series de Villiers has taken his runs- tally against India to 1279.
- At Kanpur Rohit Sharma became the first player to score 150 against South Africa in a chase. The previous highest was an unbeaten 145 by Brendan Taylor at Bloemfontein in 2010. Rohit also provided only the second instance of an Indian scoring 150 or more in a losing cause, after Sachin Tendulkar’s 175 against Australia at Hyderabad in 2009.
Highest-individual-innings-in-a-chase-vs-South-Africa
In the second ODI at Indore, MS Dhoni played an important part in India’s win by scoring an unbeaten 92 and then effecting four dismissals. This was only the eighth instance of a wicket-keeper scoring a ninety and making four dismissals in same match. Dhoni and Sangakkara are the only ones to have done so twice.
Best-allround-performances-by-keepers-in-ODIs
In the third ODI at Rajkot, MS Dhoni became the second most prolific run-scoring captain, surpassing New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming’s tally of 6295 runs. Now only Ricky Ponting with 8497 runs is ahead of Dhoni in ODIs as captain.
In the fourth ODI at Chennai, AB de Villiers became the sixth player and second South African after Hashim Amla to aggregate 1000 runs in 2015.
In the fifth ODI at Mumbai, Suresh Raina became the fifth Indian to take 100 catches in the field when he caught Farhaan Behardien. Raina joined Mohammad Azharuddin (156), Sachin Tendulkar (140), Rahul Dravid (124) and Sourav Ganguly (100).

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Interesting numbers from fifth ODI


438     South Africa’s total - the highest by any team vs India, highest total on the Indian soil and the joint-third highest total in all ODIs.

272      Runs which came in boundaries alone in South Africa innings (excluding one shot that fetched five runs) – most in a ODI innings. The previous record was of 256 shared by Sri Lanka and Australia.

214      Margin of defeat for India – their biggest ever in India and second biggest in all ODIs after the 245-run defeat against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 2000. This defeat is also the third biggest for a Test playing side at home soil after Pakistan’s 234-run loss to Sri Lanka in 2009 and Bangladesh’s 233 run-loss to Pakistan in 2000.

144      Runs coming in last 10 overs of South African innings – which are the most India have ever conceded in last 10 overs (41-50) of an innings. The previous record was 135 also against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2013.

133      Score on which Faf du Plessis got retired hurt – second highest score for an innings ending in this fashion after Sachin Tendulkar’s 163 (vs New Zealand at Christchurch in 2009).

123      Number of innings taken by Hashim Amla to complete his 6000 ODI runs – fewest for any batsman. Previous record was 136 by Virat Kohli. Amla now holds the record of being the quickest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 ODI runs in terms of innings.

111      Number of dot balls in South African innings. What would have been South Africa’s total had South African batsmen converted just about half of them in to scoring opportunities!

106      Runs conceded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar off his bowling – most by an Indian bowler in an ODI. R Vinay Kumar had conceded 102 runs against Australia (though in 9 overs) at Bangalore in 2013.

100      Number of catches taken by Suresh Raina in the field – fourth Indian to do so after Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

57        Balls taken by AB de Villiers to score his hundred – fewest taken by a South African batsman against India. AB bettered his own record of 58 balls (at Ahmedabad in 2010). Only Shahid Afridi has scored a faster ODI hundred against India than AB de Villiers – off 45 balls- at Kanpur in 2005 (Australia’s James Faulkner also took 57 balls to score his hundred at Bangalore in 2013).

23        Number of hundreds scored by AB de Villiers in ODIs- fifth joint-most with Kohli, behind only Tendulkar (49), Ponting (30), Jayasuriya (28), Sangakkara (25)

20        Number of sixes in South African innings – most hit by any team against India. South Africa, in fact, missed the world record, which is 22 by New Zealand against West Indies at Queenstown in 2014.

20        Number of sixes hit by AB de Villiers in the series – most by any batsman in a series against India. Glenn Maxwell had hit 16 in 2013.

12        Number of hundreds scored by AB de Villiers as captain (in 71 innings) – second most by any player behind Ricky Ponting’s 22 (in 220 innings). AB surpassed Sourav Ganguly’s tally of 11 (in 143 innings).

11        Number of sixes hit by AB de Villiers in the match- most by any batsman in a one-day international against India. West Indies’ Kieron Pollard (Chennai, 2011) and Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews (Ranchi, 2014) had hit 10 sixes.

8          Number of hundreds Quinton de Kock has scored in his ODI career- most by any batsman before turning 23, along with Sachin Tendulkar.

8          Number of times AB de Villiers has made a hundred off 75 or fewer balls – most by any batsman in ODIs. Virender Sehwag has done so six times.

7          Number of ODI hundreds AB de Villiers has scored on Indian soil – most by any overseas batsman. Chris Gayle has scored six.

6          Number of ODI hundreds scored by AB de Villiers against India- most by any batsman in India-South Africa ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar has a tally of five.

5          Number of ODI hundreds scored by AB de Villiers against India in India - most by any overseas batsman. Ricky Ponting, Marlon Samuels, Salman Butt and Chris Gayle share the second slot with three hundreds each.

5          Number of ODI hundreds AB has scored in 2015 – most by any captain in a calendar year (along with Sourav Ganguly in 2000, Ricky Ponting- twice in 2003 and 2007 and Graeme Smith in 2005).

5          Number of hundreds Quinton de Kock has scored against India – most by any batsman before getting dismissed for a score between 50 and 99 against a particular opponent.

4          Number of ODI hundreds AB has scored against India as captain - most by any captain vs India with Ponting (35 innings), AB will do so in just 10 innings.

3          Number of hundreds scored by AB in the series – most by a captain in a bilateral series. In fact there is only one other instance of a captain scoring three hundreds in any series or tournament. Sourav Ganguly had scored 3 hundreds while leading India in 2003 World Cup.

3          Number of batsmen to score hundreds in South Africa’s innings - Quinton de Kock (109), Faf du Plessis (133* retired hurt) and AB de Villiers (119). This was only the second time that three batsmen of same side scored hundreds together. The only other instance was also recorded earlier this year (also for South Africa) when Hashim Amla (153*), Rilee Rossouw (128) and AB de Villiers (149) scored hundreds against West Indies at Johannesburg.

1          AB de Villiers is the only batsman in ODIs to aggregate 500+ runs in a career at an average of 50+ and a strike-rate of 100+

1          The series provided the first instance in India-South Africa rivalry that either team won a bilateral series away from home.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Interesting numbers from 4th ODI


5          Number of players to score ODI hundreds against all other nine Test playing countries. Virat Kohli joined Ricky Ponting, Herschelle Gibbs, Sachin Tendulkar and Hashim Amla in accomplishing this feat.

7          Number of boundaries (fours and sixes) hit by the Indian batsmen between over # 31 and 40, exactly as many Indian batsmen hit in the same phase in previous three matches combined!

18        Number of innings taken by AB de Villiers to complete his 1000 runs in ODIs on Indian soil – fewest for any batsman. Chris Gayle held the previous record having taken 21 innings to do so.

22        Number of ODI hundreds scored by AB de Villiers – most by a South African batsman. He was earlier at level with Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amla with 21 hundreds.

76.71  AB de Villiers’ average in ODIs in the year 2015. Only two batsmen had a higher batting average while completing 1000 runs in a calendar year – Kumar Sangakkara with 79.46 in 2013 and Virat Kohli with 77.15 in 2012 (calculated till the end of innings in which milestone was achieved).

91.30  India’s win-percentage in matches where Virat Kohli scored a hundred – 21 wins in 23 matches. Among all batsmen with 20 or more hundreds, Kohli has the highest win-percentage for hundreds scored. He is followed by Hashim Amla with 90.48% win record.

100     Percent –AB de Villiers has kept his record of scoring a hundred at a strike-rate of 100 intact.

138     Virat Kohli’s innings is now the highest by any Indian batsman in ODIs at Chepauk, beating MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 113 against Pakistan in 2012.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Interesting numbers from third ODI


1        Quinton de Kock became first player to score four hundreds in first seven innings    against a Test playing country (Sachin Tendulkar has also done similar feat against  Kenya).

3        Number of batsmen to score seven ODI hundreds before turning 23. Quinton de Kock joined Sachin Tendulkar (8) and Virat Kohli (7).

41.23  Difference in Quinton de Kock’s batting average playing against India and other countries. He averages 72.57 against India and only 32.34 against all other countries.

7          Number of innings taken by Quinton de Kock to aggregate 500 runs against India- least by any batsman. Gary Kirsten held the previous record with 8 innings.

12        Number of innings after which Virat Kohli scored a ODI fifty. Kohli had aggregated 270 runs (average 27.00) in this period.

2          Number of ducks Suresh Raina has made in this series. This is first time in his ODI career that Suresh Raina recorded two ducks in a series or tournament.

6313   MS Dhoni’s run-aggregate as captain in ODIs. He is now second most prolific run-scoring captain in this format ahead of New Zealander Stephen Fleming (6295). Only Australia’s Ricky Ponting – with 8495 runs – has scored more runs than Dhoni as captain.

59        Number of balls of which Kohli-Dhoni pair failed to score any run during their 112-ball partnership. 25 of those dots were consumed by Kohli and 34 by Dhoni.

5.88    Run-rate required by India when Kohli-Dhoni partnership was started. By the time the pair was separated, the required run-rate had climbed up to 9.55


Thursday, October 15, 2015

Zaheer Khan's amazing numbers


3          Number of times Zaheer Khan dismissed an opener for a duck in both innings of a Test - a world record. No one else has done so more than once in Test history! The dismissed batsmen were: Herschelle Gibbs, Javed Omar and Tim McIntosh. Omar had a golden pair (dismissed off the very first ball in both innings!)

14        Number of times Zaheer Khan sent back Graeme Smith in international cricket – seven times in Tests, six times in One-Day Internationals and once in Twenty20 Internationals. Among the Indian bowlers only Kapil Dev dismissed a particular batsman more often– Desmond Haynes (16 times).

21        Number of wickets taken by Zaheer Khan in 2011 World Cup – most by an Indian bowler in a single edition of World Cup. His tally was also the highest by any bowler in 2011 edition (with Shahid Afridi who also got 21).

29        Number of times Zaheer Khan got out on duck in Tests – most for an Indian.

42.76   Percent of Zaheer’s wickets in Test cricket were of left-handers, which is the highest percentage of left-handed victims for any pacer taking 200 or more wickets in Test cricket.

44        Number of wickets taken by Zaheer Khan in World Cup, which are the most by any Indian bowler, with Javagal Srinath. Among leading wicket-takers in World Cup Zaheer is joint-fifth after Glenn McGrath (71), Muttiah Muralitharan (68), Wasim Akram (55) and Chaminda Vaas (49).

46        Number of ducks inflicted by Zaheer in One-Day Internationals – most by any Indian bowler in this format.

55.43   Zaheer’s strike-rate (balls per wicket) in overseas Tests – best for an Indian bowler with 100 or more wickets outside India.

66        Number of Tests Zaheer Khan missed between his Test debut and retirement. Most of these Tests were missed because of injuries rather than on form.

83        Number of wickets taken by Zaheer Khan in overseas Test wins – most by an Indian. Anil Kumble is second with 80 wickets.

311      Zaheer’s wicket-tally in Test cricket – third highest for a left-arm pacer after Wasim Akram (414) and Chaminda Vaas (355).

610      Number of wickets Zaheer Khan ended with in international cricket (Tests, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals combined). Only Anil Kumble (956), Harbhajan Singh (706) and Kapil Dev (687) have taken more wickets among Indian bowlers.

4          Number of sixes Zaheer Khan hit off Henry Olonga in one over in a one-day international against Zimbabwe (at Jodhpur in 2000). He was the first Indian batsman ever to hit four sixes in one over!

75        Zaheer Khan’s highest score in Test cricket (v Bangladesh at Dhaka in December 2004). It was then the highest score by a number 11 batsman in Test cricket and remained so for next seven years until West Indies’ Tino Best broke it in 2012




Zaheer Khan in facts & figures


Full name        :           Zaheer Khan
Born                :           October 7, 1978, Shrirampur, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India
Nickname       :           Zak
Height              :           6 ft 1 in
Batting style    :           Right-handed
Bowling style   :           Left-arm fast medium
Role                 :           Bowler
Test debut       :           November 10, 2000 v Bangladesh at Dhaka (2/49 & 1/20)
Last Test         :           February 14-18, 2014 v New Zealand at Wellington (0/57 & 5/170)
ODI debut       :           October 3, 2000 v Kenya at Nairobi Gym (3/48)
Last ODI          :           August 4, 2012 v Sri Lanka at Pallekele (1/53)
T20I debut       :           December 1, 2006 v South Africa at Johannesburg (2/15)  
Last T20I         :           October 2, 2012 v South Africa at Colombo RPS (3/22)

Zaheer in each format
Mts
Wkts
Best
Avg
SR
5WI
10WM
Test matches
92
311
7/87
32.94
60.40
11
1
One-Day Internationals
200
282
5/42
29.43
35.80
1
0
Twenty20 Internationals
17
17
4/19
26.35
20.70
0
0
All International cricket
309
610
7/87
31.14
47.92
12
1

Mts
Wkts
Best
Avg
SR
5WI
10WM
for India
303
597
7/87
31.48
48.49
12
1
for Asia XI
6
13
3/21
15.30
21.69
0
0

Zaheer’s mode of dismissals

Tests
ODIs
T20Is
All Int'l cricket
Caught
191 (61.4%)
153 (54.3%)
10 (58.8%)
354 (58.0%)
Bowled
56 (18.0%)
81 (28.7%)
5 (29.4%)
142 (23.3%)
LBW
63 (20.3%)
48 (17.0%)
2 (11.8%)
113 (18.5%)
Hit-wicket
1 (0.3%)
0
0
1 (0.2%)

Zaheer’s break-up of dismissals (batting style-wise)
Tests
ODIs
T20Is
All Int'l cricket
Right-handers
178 (57.2%)
184 (65.2%)
11 (64.7%)
373 (61.1%)
Left-handers
133 (42.8%)
98 (34.8%)
6 (35.3%)
237 (38.9%)

Zaheer’s favourite victims
Tests
ODIs
T20Is
All Int'l cricket
Graeme Smith (SA)
7
6
1
14
Matthew Hayden (Aus)
7
3
0
10
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
6
5
0
11
Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)
2
8
0
10
Mahela Jayawardene (SL)
2
7
0
9

Zaheer’s 610 wickets in all international cricket (Tests, ODIs & T20Is combined) are the fourth most by an Indian bowler after Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. The details:

Most wickets by Indian bowlers in international cricket
Mts
Wkts
Avg
SR
Anil Kumble +
403
956
30.09
57.89
Harbhajan Singh +
363
706
32.53
58.74
Kapil Dev
356
687
28.83
56.68
Zaheer Khan +
309
610
31.14
47.92
Javagal Srinath
296
551
29.11
49.07
+ Tally includes wickets for Asia XI

Among Indian pacers only Kapil Dev took more wickets than Zaheer’s 311 in Test cricket.

Most wickets by Indian pacers in Test cricket
Mts
Wkts
Avg
SR
5WI
10WM
Kapil Dev
131
434
29.64
63.92
23
2
Zaheer Khan
92
311
32.94
60.40
11
1
Javagal Srinath
67
236
30.49
64.00
10
1
Ishant Sharma
65
200
36.51
65.24
7
1
Karsan Ghavri #
39
109
33.54
64.55
4
0
# Tally includes some wickets taken bowling spin

Only two left-arm pacers – Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas – were ahead of Zaheer Khan in Test cricket

Most successful left-arm pacers in Test cricket
Player
Mts
Wkts
Avg
SR
5WI
10WM
Wasim Akram (Pak)
104
414
23.62
54.65
25
5
Chaminda Vaas (SL)
111
355
29.58
66.02
12
2
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
92
311
32.94
60.40
11
1
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
71
306
27.94
50.84
12
3

In all international cricket also, only Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas took more wickets than Zaheer Khan (among left-arm pacers)

Most successful left-arm pacers in international cricket
Mts
Wkts
Avg
SR
Wasim Akram (Pak)
460
916
23.57
44.56
Chaminda Vaas (SL+)
439
761
28.44
51.70
Zaheer Khan (Ind+)
309
610
31.14
47.92
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
254
583
26.39
40.66
Irfan Pathan (Ind)
173
301
29.85
40.53

When it comes to the contribution in India’s overseas Test wins, Zaheer is second to none. Take a look:

Most successful Indian bowlers in AWAY Test wins
Mts
Wkts
Avg
SR
5WI
10WM
Zaheer Khan
18
83
23.38
41.98
3
1
Anil Kumble
15
80
22.28
43.58
4
0
Harbhajan Singh
14
54
25.88
56.85
3
1
Irfan Pathan
8
54
17.37
31.24
6
2
Ishant Sharma
12
49
24.32
45.28
2
0
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
5
42
17.14
38.38
5
1
Erapalli Prasanna
7
42
16.50
48.85
3
1

43 percent of Zaheer’s wickets were of left-handers. This is the highest percentage of left-handed victims among all pacers who have taken 200 or more wickets. Among all bowlers (including spinners), only one bowler – England’s Graeme Swann – has the higher left-hand victim percentage.

Pacers with highest percentage of left-handed victims
(Min.200 wickets)
LHB victims
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
43%
Morne Morkel (SA)
37%
Mathew Hoggard (Eng)
36%
Ishant Sharma (Ind)
35%
Chris Martin (NZ)
35%
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
34%
Mkhaya Ntini (SA)
34%

Zaheer’s 14 dismissals of Graeme Smith (across all formats) is actually the joint second best performance by an Indian bowler.

Dismissing a batsman most number of times in international cricket (for India)
Bowler
Batsman
Mts
Wkts
Kapil Dev
Desmond Haynes (WI)
54
16
Zaheer Khan
Graeme Smith (SA)
27
14
Kapil Dev
Mudassar Nazar (Pak)
35
14
Kapil Dev
Graeme Gooch (Eng)
35
14
Kapil Dev
Gordon Greenidge (WI)
41
14
Anil Kumble
Aravinda de Silva (SL)
46
14

Zaheer’s tally of 44 wickets is the joint-most by any Indian bowler in World Cup matches, along with Javagal Srinath. Overall he is joint fifth in the list of most successful bowlers in World Cup cricket.

Most successful bowlers in World Cup
Mts
Wkts
Avg
SR
4W
Glenn McGrath (Aus)
39
71
18.19
27.54
2
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
40
68
19.63
30.31
4
Wasim Akram (Pak)
38
55
23.83
35.40
3
Chaminda Vaas (SL)
31
49
21.22
32.04
2
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
23
44
20.22
27.11
1
Javagal Srinath (Ind)
34
44
27.81
38.64
2