When it comes to swing bowling, there are very few bowlers who have been as successful as Australian pacer Glenn McGrath. In his time, he was the best in his profile. In the era when Australia was extremely dominant in world cricket, it was McGrath who was leading the bowling attack for the men in yellow. It has been a few years since the legend has retired. Yet, there are a few records of his that are unlikely to be toppled in the coming years. On that note, in this article, we take a look at four records of Glenn McGrath that might not be broken in the near future.
1) Getting out the same batter for most times in Tests – 19 times (Michael Atherton)
For a bowler to dismiss a top-order batter repeatedly is a tough ask. This is mainly because, after a few occurrences, the batter tries to play out that particular bowler or finds out strategies to tackle him. With the emergence of video analysis in recent years, it has become easier for batters to identify their weaknesses. Of course, it works vice-versa, as well.
Glenn McGrath, amongst his 563 Test scalps, has got English cricketer Michael Atherton out 19 times. This is the best record that a bowler has had over a single batter in Test cricket. Amongst active cricketers, Stuart Broad’s dominance over David Warner (14 times) comes next. However, with the teams clashing not very often and with Broad himself not having a guaranteed spot, McGrath’s record is hard to be beaten.
2) Most wickets in ODI World Cups – 71 wickets
Having the most number of wickets in ODI World Cups is one of the records of Glenn McGrath that might not be broken in the near future. Three-time World Cup winner McGrath has 71 wickets in the competition.
It is a record that is held by the Aussie for a long time now. The second on the list is Muthiah Muralidaran with 68 scalps. Of the current cricketers, the highest is by Mitchell Starc, who has 49 World Cup wickets. Assuming Starc might play only one more World Cup, it will be hard for him to break it. Hence, at least for the next eight years, McGrath’s record is safe.
3) Most ODI wickets by an Australian bowler – 380 wickets (Jointly held by Brett Lee)
Both Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath have 380 wickets in ODI cricket. They occupy No.1 and No.2 positions when it comes to most ODI wickets by an Australian bowler.
ODI cricket is on the decline and pacers are focusing more on the other two formats. In this scenario, it is hard for any other bowler to break this record. Among the non-retired cricketers, Starc is the next on the list. He has 195 wickets and for him, it’s hard to achieve 380 scalps.
4) Most Test wickets by Australian pacer – 563
Being the highest wicket-taking pacer for Australia in Tests is another one of the records of Glenn McGrath that might not be broken in the near future. While Shane Warne is the highest wicket-taker for Australia, McGrath tops the list when it comes to pacers. On an all-time platform, too, it was only recently that James Anderson toppled this record.
Mitchell Starc has 282 wickets so far and it is almost impossible him for to break this record. Pat Cummins has 197 scalps but he will need a lot of years and consistency to get to McGrath’s number.
