Along with some of the memorable batting performances, the Ashes series has been historic thanks to some of the fiercest bowling. It’s about the moments of the game, like how you start the game, whether it’s the delivery from Steve Harmison in the second slip to start the trip or Mitchell Starc’s leg-side delivery breaking the stumps of Rory Burns around the leg. 

Over the years, several bowlers, irrespective of pacers and spinners, have provided some of the sensational bowling performances in the Ashes history. The Ashes 2025/26 series will begin on November 21 at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and before that, here is a glance at the top five best bowling performances in Ashes history.

Let’s take a look at the Top 5 bowling performances in history of Ashes-

1. Jim Laker (England)

The former England off-spinner, Jim Laker, was incredibly successful in his bowling against Australia in the history of the Ashes. The late spinner picked up 79 wickets in just 33 innings at an average of 18.27 and a strike rate of 50 with five five-wicket hauls and as many four-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 10/53.

Laker’s best bowling came in 1956 at the Old Trafford ground in Manchester, when in the first innings, he ended with magical figures of 9/37 in 16.4 overs as the visitors were bundled out for 84 with only two batters getting into the double figures. In the second innings, he collected 10/53 to build up the match figures of 19/90 to collect an innings and 170 run win.

2. Stuart Broad (England)

Australia will never forget the 2015 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. It was one of those unique games where all the edges were nearly taken at the slip region or to the wicket-keeper. James Anderson was out of the clash due to injury, as the responsibility fell on the home boy, Stuart Broad, who ended with 8/15 in his 9.5 overs. Australia got bundled out for 60 in the first innings and couldn’t recover from that position to face a massive innings and 78-run defeat.

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Broad, who retired during the 2023 Ashes at the Kennington Oval in South London, is the third leading wicket-taker in Ashes history with 153 scalps at 28.96 in 74 innings at a strike rate of 54.44 with eight fifers in the format against Australia.

3. Glenn McGrath (Australia)

The former Australian pacer, Glenn McGrath, was known for putting in the hard yards in the same line and length in a handkerchief and continued to pick wickets or either drying up the runs at one end, which opens the gate of wickets falling from the other side. He is the second leading wicket-taker in Ashes history with 157 wickets at an average of 20.92 and a strike rate of 46, thanks to 10 fifers.

McGrath’s best bowling figures of 8/38 came at the iconic Lord’s Test in 1997. The home side was bundled out for 77 runs in 42.3 overs before Australia grabbed a massive lead of over 150 runs. However, the foul weather and improved batting from the home side in the second innings ended it as a draw.

4. Shane Warne (Australia) 

Over the years, Shane Warne has had several memorable bowling performances in the Ashes. The former late great leg spinner is the leading run-getter of the Ashes history with 195 wickets in just 72 innings at an average of 23.25 and a strike rate of 55.16, having 11 five-wicket hauls at the best bowling figures of 8/71 in an innings.

His best performance in the Ashes also came through a six-wicket haul, and that was in 1997 at Old Trafford in Manchester. In the first innings, Australia were bundled out for less than 250 as they needed an inspiring bowling performance, and Warne stood out. He finished with 6/48 in 30 overs as the tourists claimed a 268-run win.

5. Mitchell Johnson (Australia)

The 2013/14 Ashes belonged to the hostile bowling performance of the left-arm pacer, Mitchell Johnson, who fired up with the ball and bounced out the England batters with several short balls. It was a theater for the fans, but a nightmare for the batters. Johnson has collected 87 wickets in 19 Tests of the Ashes at 25.81, thanks to five fifers.

His best bowling came in 2013 at the Adelaide Oval when he picked up a brilliant 7/40 in 17.2 overs to blow away the Three Lions for 172 runs. Australia took a fine lead by a 2-0 margin to collect a massive win by 218 runs.

Another Ashes series is knocking on the door. Before that, a few stats are necessary to watch out for. In a previous article, we discussed the top 5 all-time leading run scorers in the history of The Ashes. In this part, we will talk about the 5 best bowlers who claimed the most number of wickets between the England and Australia rivalry in the Whites. 

Needless to say, legendary bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are on the list of leading wicket-takers in the history of the series. While bowlers like Ian Botham and James Anderson are not among the top 5 wicket-getters. 

Top 5 wicket-takers in the history of The Ashes

The former England pacer, Stuart Broad, who will work with the Australian media this summer for the five-match Test series in the Ashes 2025-26, has hit back at the prediction of the former opener, David Warner, who felt that this Ben Stokes-led team won’t have the skill to claim the Ashes.

Warner felt that one of the games would be rained off, leading to Australia’s 4-0 series victory. However, Broad reckoned that the current Australia Test side would perhaps be the worst side to face a better England team, as the home side would have several questions on their fitness and form.

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“Don’t know what I make of it. The prediction 4-0 (with one wash-out), it is quite difficult to win in Australia for any side. Australia has to be the massive favorite. The question really was which team is under pressure, and I guess that is Australia because they have question marks over their team, their captain, and his fitness.” Broad expressed on the podcast with Jos Buttler.

Stuart Broad Calls The Current Australia Test Side Worst Since 2011 

England’s last Ashes series win down under came in 2010/11 under the captaincy of Andrew Strauss. Hard to believe, but since then England have lost 13 of the 15 red-ball games in Australia, with two games ending in a draw. That would be a horrible record, living rent-free in the heads of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, who doesn’t have sweet memories for New Zealand in those conditions.

“It is probably the worst Australian team since 2010, and it is the best England team since 2010, and those things match up. Australia has been so consistent with their plans and approach, and they don’t have that anymore. It is quite a similar situation to 2010/11, when Australia were confused.” Broad added.

England would look to be aggressive with the bat in this Ashes, as they were at home in 2023. But it will all depend on their bowlers’ performance in taking key wickets in various phases of the game. They drew their last Test series at home against India by a 2-2 margin.

Probably it was the first time when a large number of people witnessed something like that. On September 19, 2007, Durban went absolutely wild. Headlines and sports pages described the heroics of Yuvraj Singh, which, to date, cricket fans remember.

In India vs England, ICC World Twenty20 2007/08, Yuvraj Singh smashed six 6s in a row against England's one of the best pacers, Stuart Broad. India went to bat first and got the start they were looking for. Both of the openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, scored half-centuries, a 136-run partnership in the opening stand.

India had the foundation; they needed to hold the momentum to create something big. The quick dismissal of Robin Uthappa provided oxygen to the England cricket team. Things started to get more intense when Andrew Flintoff uttered some words to Yuvraj Singh. Flintoff's memory game proved to be the worst move for England when the southpaw started to launch sixes one after another. Stuart Broad was not a part of the heated exchange between Yuvraj and Flintoff, but he felt the wrath of the batter as he was the next bowler after the incident. Broad was in disbelief; the crowd and the commentators were in disbelief at what they witnessed—6 sixes in 6 balls.

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Six 6s from Yuvraj Singh helped India to win the match

"I feel sorry for Stuart Broad, but it was only a matter of time before an over like that came around," said then the captain of England, Paul Collingwood. MS Dhoni, then the skipper of India, said, "Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) was amazing for the team. We got a score that was next to impossible." 

Yuvraj scored 58 runs against 16 deliveries. His innings was laced with three boundaries and seven over boundaries; India in 20 overs registered 218 runs. England fought brilliantly but could not get the target. India won the match by 18 runs.

The pressure was huge on Stuart Broad, the veteran England fast bowler, especially in the absence of James Anderson, coming into the fourth Ashes 2015 Test at his home ground, Trent Bridge in Nottingham. They needed to win the game to win the urn back home, and for that, they needed to go through the touring batting line-up.

Stuart Broad sent back the left-handed batter, Chris Rogers, to draw first blood on the third ball of the fixture. The southpaw went for a huge drive and ended up in the hands of the slip field. Two balls later, he squared up Steve Smith into the third slip fielder, before he got Shaun Marsh in the same fashion.

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All the batters were going for the huge drives, but were not successful in getting the right balance on the surface. Broad, later, earned the wicket of Adem Voges for one run in four balls as Ben Stokes grabbed an incredible catch at the gully region. Suddenly, they found themselves five down on the first ball of the fifth delivery.

Watch: Relive Stuart Broad’s bowling figures of 8/15 during Ashes 2015

Michael Clarke, the captain of the Australian side, got frustrated with the batting performance and went for a flashing drive against Stuart Broad. He got an outside edge on the bat as the ball flew into the slips region, where Sir Alastair Cook grabbed a special catch. Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson’s feet were stuck on the crease and got caught at the slips.

🗓️ On This Day in 2015…

Broady took eight in one of the greatest spells in Ashes history 😱 pic.twitter.com/H0REy3laUC

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 6, 2025

Nathan Lyon was the last man to go for nine runs as the visitors were bundled for just 60 runs in 18.3 overs. The right-arm pacer ended with figures of 8/15 in 9.3 overs for an economy rate of 1.61 with five maidens. The Three Lions, then, piled up 391/9 in their first innings to grab a lead by 331 runs.

Australia did well with the bat in comparison in the second innings. Voges, Rogers, and David Warner were the three half-centurions of the innings, but their 253 runs were not enough to save them from the defeat by innings and 78 runs. Broad added one more wicket to the tally in the second innings.

Former England pacer Stuart Broad praised Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj for his outstanding performance in the fifth and final Test at The Oval. Playing his fifth consecutive match in the series, the 31-year-old showed great stamina and fighting spirit to help India win by just six runs.

India made a strong comeback by reducing England from 301/3 to 337/6 during their chase of 374 in the final session on Day 4. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Broad said that while many people thought the early end to Day 4 broke India’s momentum, it actually helped from a bowler’s point of view.

Siraj Shines with Match-Winning Spell at The Oval

Mohammed Siraj helped India fight back in the first innings by taking four key wickets when England looked strong at 129/1 while chasing India's 224. But his most important spell came in the final innings. He took five wickets and helped India bowl England out for 367 in their chase of 374, turning the match in India’s favor.

After the match, former England pacer Stuart Broad praised Siraj on Sky Sports and said: "I am delighted for Mohammed Siraj. Hopefully, I get an opportunity to shake his hands because I was worried yesterday that we would be talking about that dropped catch (Brook's drop). And it would be the catch he would be boarding that plane home thinking, ‘If I had taken that, could things have been different?’"

Broad added: "For a bowler who gave everything in the series, he deserved to take the final wicket and be remembered for bowling his team to an exciting Test win instead of for a mistake on the boundary."

Siraj was named Player of the Match and finished as the highest wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets in five Tests.

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“India Deserved Something from the Series” – Broad

Stuart Broad also said that the 2-2 draw was a fair result and praised both teams for their efforts. He shared: "India definitely deserved something out of the series. If you look at all the Test matches, they could have won, so they deserved something out of the series. Maybe not a win, because England also played some fantastic cricket."

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri called the draw a massive result, especially because the team missed senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah in some matches.

Shubman Gill, who led India for the first time in a Test series, scored 754 runs at an average of 75.40, including four centuries, and ended the series as the highest run-scorer. Siraj, under pressure, delivered one of his best performances with nine wickets in the final Test and led India to a six-run win at The Oval.

The buzz around the upcoming Ashes is already touching the ceiling. The prestigious 5-match Test series will start in November, later this year. Before that, there were plenty of weeks left. But the cricket world already is witnessing the rising heat. Former cricketers from both nations have started to exchange words through various media platforms. 

Former England captain Nasser Hussain also joined the rank by issuing a warning to his nation's boys who will take a flight to Australia for The Ashes. Hussain said that there, in Australia, England cricketers will need to stay mentally tough. Because the visiting side has to deal with mind games. 

"I do think you need tough cricketers. And I mean people who would stand up out there. When you go out there, you are not taking on 11 Australian cricketers; you are taking on a nation. You’ll get out there, and the media will be on you. Within a week of landing, they will say, ‘Is this the worst England side ever to come?’ which was probably true in our case. Can’t bowl, can’t bat, can’t field. The headline will come out ‘Stuart Broad is a…something bloke", Nasser Hussain said while speaking to Sky Sports Cricket while sitting by the side of Stuart Broad. 

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'You have to be up for the fight'

For example, he mentioned Darren Gough, Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, and Stuart Broad, who achieved success against Australia, in Australia, not only for the skills they used to possess but also for the blend of skills and fearless nerves, according to Nasser. 

"So, you are taking on them; you are taking on the public. If you look historically, the characters, not just cricketers, who have done well against Australia—Darren Gough stood up to everyone, Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, and Stuart Broad. People that would not back down in a battle because that is what the Ashes is. It is a battle for however long, however many days, and you have to be up for the fight," he added. 

"People that will not back down in a battle" 😤

Nasser Hussain says England need 'tough cricketers' in their squad to travel to Australia for the Ashes 👊 pic.twitter.com/1dDhyaLsuh

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 3, 2025

A few months are left before the highly anticipated Ashes 2025-26, which is scheduled to start on November 21, 2025. Prior to that, former Australia international David Warner started a banter through his verbal exercise. Warner took a cheeky dig at England maestro Joe Root. The former cricketer criticized his footwork by comparing it with a surfboard.

Stuart Broad, former England cricketer, did not miss the opportunity to fire back at the Aussie. Over the years, Root developed himself as the prime middle-order batsman. But whenever he was up against their archrival Australia, Root failed to convert his momentum into a triple digit. Across 14 tests in the country, he has a top score of 89 and an average of 35.68, without a single century to his name.

Warner predicted that the right-handed batter can be exposed because of his footwork and can be easily trapped for a leg before the wicket. For that, Josh Hazlewood can be the nemesis for Joe Root, as predicted by David Warner. Stuart Broad corrected the inputs provided by the former opener. 

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War of words to set the tone

"The big anchor there is Root, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia. Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg," Warner said to BBC Sport.

I’ve never heard England’s best ever batters front pad called a Surfboard 😂😂
Just for clarity. Hazelwood has got Rooty LBW in Test Cricket 3 times. Three. https://t.co/HZc7hojQHi

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) August 2, 2025

Using his social media platform, Broad said that Hazlewood has dismissed Root leg-before only three times in his career. Broad's information was correct, as Root has fallen to Hazlewood 10 times in 18 tests, and against Pat Cummins, he lost his wicket 11 times in test cricket. "I’ve never heard of England’s best-ever batter's front pad called a Surfboard. Just for clarity. Hazelwood has got Rooty LBW in Test Cricket 3 times. Three," Broad said on the social media platform 'X.'. 

Batting has worked out for India in this five-match series in England, but even after eight innings at Old Trafford in Manchester, they have yet to find out their number three position in the batting order. Karun Nair batted at this position four times and managed 110 runs at an average of 27.50, while Sai Sudharsan got just 61 runs in the first innings of Manchester. 

In the last three series, they used multiple options at number three, including Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Paddikal, Nair, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and many others. None of them was able to provide them the contribution they perhaps expected, like they got from Cheteshwar Pujara or Rahul Dravid in the past.

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‘For Sudharsan, it was all mental fatigue and tiredness. That’s why number three is such a tough place. Around the world, there are not many number three players who have produced consistent performances on the back day. You need to deal with a certain scenario or situation. It’s a difficult place to bat.’ Stuart Broad, the former pacer, shed light during a post-show on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Stuart Broad and Ricky Ponting analyze India’s number 3 in ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

Broad pointed out how the number three position around the world hasn’t contributed much. He reckoned that Sudharsan’s dismissal in the second innings of Manchester came only because of the mental fatigue. Ricky Ponting added a little more than that.

"Sudharsan is going to be good enough" 💪

Ricky Ponting & Stuart Broad discuss the number three batting position for India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/haiLbiOHRO

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2025

‘It just creates internal pressure a youngster doesn’t need, looking over the shoulder. That was where it surprised me. They made a call in the first Test on Sudharsan and then went back to him. I wasn’t that young when I moved up to three. But it requires a bit of reassurance from the captain and coaches about how he goes. Ben Stokes has done it to Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley and kept backing them to get the match-winning knocks.’ Ponting addressed.

India finished the fourth day with 130 runs behind and eight wickets in hand. Both Shubman Gill and KL Rahul remained unbeaten at the close and will need to stay longer in the crease for India to end the game in a draw.

England and India are battling it out in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, with the hosts dominating proceedings. After dismissing India for 358, England made a powerful response, racing to 332/2 by lunch on Day 3, thanks to a massive 166-run opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Amid this onslaught, the legendary England bowler, Stuart Broad, raised questions about why Indian captain Shubman Gill delayed the introduction of off-spinner Washington Sundar, especially after his impressive four-wicket haul (4/22) in the previous Test at Lord’s that helped skittle England out for just 192.

The Indian bowling attack appeared toothless on a surface that seemed to favour turn, and Sundar’s absence was puzzling given his recent form. When Sundar was finally brought on just before the lunch break, he immediately impressed with his drift and control. Former England pacer Stuart Broad also noted the late introduction, pointing out the noticeable drift Sundar generated. His entry brought some relief for the visitors, who desperately needed breakthroughs after a frustrating morning session dominated by England’s top-order batters.

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“All around Old Trafford, everybody had been saying, ‘Where is Washington Sundar, why are we not seeing him?’ They were 300/2 and we hadn’t seen the off-spinner, he got four wickets in the first innings at Lord’s,” Broad said on JioHotstar during the lunch interval.

I was really surprised: Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad remarked that Washington Sundar bowled just three overs before lunch and immediately generated noticeable drift against the right-handers, which brought the outside edge into play. He expressed surprise at the situation and stated that, in his opinion, it was a mistake by Shubman Gill not to introduce Sundar earlier in the game.

“He came for three overs pre-lunch and you saw he got the drift against right-handers, looked like outside edge came in the game. I was really surprised, it was a mistake by Shubman Gill to not bring (him) in the game," he added.