Greatest Fast Bowling Combos Ever in Test Cricket

The future of New Zealand cricket looks very exciting with the emergence of a very potent fast bowling combo of Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, combined with the experience of Chris Martin and having the likes of Hamish Bennett, Andy McKay and the soon to be eligible Neil Wagner waiting in the wings.

Australia's fast bowling stocks are also on the rise with the emergence of Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, and Mitchell Starc this summer, joining the experienced Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris in the armory.




But there have been plenty of fast bowling combos which have wowed the world of cricket and put terror into the eyes of batsmen. Here's a look back at 5 memorable fast bowling combos.


Wasim Akram/Waqar Younis
It wasn't pace that frightened batsmen but the unpredictable movement off the wicket which these two could exert. They made Pakistan a force to be feared - shame about the match-fixing allegations that have hit the country's cricket team in recent times.

Richard Hadlee/Ewen Chatfield
How does this lineup feature here? Well, Chatfield was the perfect foil for the perfect fast bowler who was worth two fast bowlers in any side.

Courtney Walsh/Curtly Ambrose
The last great Windies fast bowling duo. Walsh was the record holder for most wickets in test matches until he was overtaken by Muttiah Muralitharan in 2004. Even with the Windies not what they were in the 90s, these two still struck fear in the eyes of batsmen worldwide.

Dennis Lillee/Jeff Thomson
Probably the finest fast bowling combos Australia has ever had. Once they were gone, Australia went into rapid decline and only came out of it when another magic duo emerged on the scene.

Malcolm Marshall/Michael Holding/Joel Garner/Colin Croft
The original West Indian fast bowling combo, and the most frightening fast bowling combo the world has probably ever seen. So frightening, that it even inspired a movie - an excellent one I might add, Fire in Babylon. Even with Croft defecting to play cricket in South Africa, all they had to do was call up the equally scary Garner.


And a special mention for:

Shane Warne/Glenn McGrath 
Ok one was a spin maestro and one wasn't the fastest bowler ever but this was undoubtedly the most effective bowling partnership Australia has ever had. The pressure both exerted with Warney's spin and McGrath's nagging line and length was enough to see Australia dominate world cricket for nearly 10 years. Australia are still trying to find their replacements 5 years after their retirement.