Laxman, Kumble in Wisden's top ten list

Indian middle order batsman VVS Laxman figures in the top ten Test innings, while leg spinner Anil Kumble is in the second spot of the top ten Test bowling analysis of all time list, which was released in Mumbai on Thursday.

Wisden On-Line director Anthony Bouchier, launching the Wisden 100, a new analysis to assess a Test cricketer's individual batting and bowling performances spanning 138 years of cricket history, told reporters that Laxman's 281 in the home series against Aussies in Calcutta has a Wisden rating of 234.8 points and is placed sixth.

The other five players above Laxman are Don Bradman's 270 for Australia against England at Melbourne in 1936-37 series with a Wisden rating of 262.4, Brian Lara's 153 not out for West Indies against Australia at Bridgetown in 1998-99 (rating: 255.2), Graham Gooch's 154 not out for England against West Indies at Headingley in 1991 (rating: 252.0), Ian Botham's 149 not out for England versus Australia at Headingley in 1981 (rating 240.8) and Don Bradman's 299 not out for Australia against South Africa in 1931-32 series (rating: 236.8).

The other four innings after Laxman's 281 are Clem Hill's 188 for the Aussies against England at Melbourne in 1897-98 series (rating: 234.2), Azhar Mahmood's 132 for Pakistan against South Africa at Durban in 1997-98 (rating: 232.6), Kim Hughes' unbeaten hundred for Australia against the West Indies at Melbourne in 1981-82 (rating: 229.7) and Brian Lara's 375 for the West Indies against England at Antigua in 1993-94 (rating: 228.1).

Former Indian Test star and the managing director of Wisden Online India Private Limited, Yajuvindra Singh said the batting analysis used 12 parameters while the bowling analysis used eight parameters.

The Wisden 100, which covers 1552 matches, 54,494 innings and 29,730 bowling performances, has Hugh Tayfield's nine for 113 for South Africa versus England at Johannesburg in 1956-57 at the top of the bowling list with a Wisden rating of 253.9 points followed by Kumble's ten for 74 against Pakistan at Delhi in 1998-99 (rating: 248.6)

In the third to seventh position comes Jim Laker's ten for 53 for England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 (rating: 241.7), Jack White's eight for 126 for England versus Australia at Adelaide in 1928-29 (rating: 238.8), Richard Hadlee's nine for 52 for New Zealand aginst Australia in 1985-86 (rating: 237.1), Devon Malcolm's nine for 57 for England versus South Africa at The Oval in 1994 (rating 234.4) and Bob Willis' eight for 43 for England against Australia at Headingley in 1981 (rating: 226.1).

The last three figures are of Hedley Verity's eight for 43 for England against Australia at Lord's in 1934 (rating: 225.1), Bill O'Reilly's seven for 54 for Australia against England at Trent Bridge in 1934 (rating: 224.3) and Graham Mckenzie's eight for 71 for Australia against the West Indies at Melbourne in 1968-69 (rating: 224.1).

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's recent figures seven for 133 in the home series against Aussies at Chennai just missed the mark by a whisker to make it to the top ten list and has a rating of 188.7 points.

In the Indian top ten innings of all time list, Laxman's 281 gets the top spot followed by Dilip Vengsarkar's 102 against England at Leeds in 1986.

The next three spots have Gundappa Vishwanath's 97 not out against the West Indies at Madras in 1975, Sunil Gavaskar's 221 against England at The Oval in 1979 and Kapil Dev's 129 against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1992.

Sixth to tenth spots have Vishwanath's 114 against Australia, Mohammed Azharuddin's 152 against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad in 1994, S M Gavaskar's 236 against the West Indies at Madras in 1983, Rahul Dravid's 180 against Australia at Kolkata this year and Ajit Wadekar's 143 against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in 1986.

In the Indian top ten bowling analysis of all time list, Kumble's ten for 74 takes the pride of place followed by Harbhajan Singh's eight for 84 against Australia at Madras this year.

The next three best figures are Kapil Dev's seven for 56 against Pakistan at Chennai in 1980, Kapil Dev's eight for 85 against Pakistan at Lahore in 1983 and Narendra Hirwani's eight for 75 against the West Indies at Madras in 1988.

The best figures from sixth to tenth places has Jasu Patel's nine for 69 against the Aussies at Kanpur in 1959, Erapalli Prasanna's eight for 76 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1968, Vinoo Mankad's eight for 55 against England at Madras in 1952, Subhash Gupte's nine for 102 against the West Indies at Kanpur in 1959 and Harbhajan Singh's seven for 123 (which included the first ever hat-trick by an Indian) against Australia at Kolkata this year.