Last year was a big one for Test cricket, with the World Test Championship final and several high-profile bilateral series. Wisden's editorial team have selected their top five men's Test innings of 2026.
No.5: Noman Ali 6-112 vs South Africa, Lahore
Noman's resurgence as a Test cricketer has come quickly since he was recalled to play England in Pakistan in 2024. Since then he has taken 50 wickets in six matches, all of which have come at home, at an average of 16.04. His best to date, however, came against the World Test Champions in Lahore in October. Part of Pakistan's tried and tested home method, Noman completely turned the game on its head, ripping through South Africa's middle-order and taking six wickets to give his side a first-innings lead.
The first innings in Lahore stands out from Noman's other six-for this year against the West Indies for its devastating effect against a high-quality opposition, leading Pakistan's victory while the rest of the spin attack picked off victims in his wake. He went on to take four wickets in the final innings to seal a decisive victory.
No.4 Marco Jansen 6-48 vs India, Guwahati
After a fairly quiet year by the standards of his initial burst onto the international scene in 2022, Jansen burst into life in the second Test of South Africa's landmark win in India. After India's top order faltered in their reply to South Africa's 489, Jansen tore through the middle order with a spell of hostile short-pitched bowling to rout their first innings. He dismissed Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant with his overs on either side of Tea on day three, ending his burst having taken four wickets in five overs.
Jansen's spell was a turning point in sealing South Africa's historic series win in India, a Test with such spectacular individual performances that it appears twice on this list.
No.3 Simon Harmer 6-37 vs India, Guwahati
Working in tandem with Jansen's first-innings burst was Simon Harmer's on the final day in Guwahati. Harmer was one of the feel-good stories of Test cricket in 2025, recalled to South Africa honours at the age of 36, and finishing the year only second to Taijul Islam for wickets taken in the format by spin bowlers over the previous 12 months. He played just four Tests.
On the final day in Guwahati, as India sought to bat our for a draw, Harmer ripped through India to consign them to their biggest ever Test loss in by runs (408). Harmer was named player of the series for his 6-37 that day, and his twin four-fors in the previous match. He also became the leading-wicket-taker for South Africa in India, going past Dale Steyn.
Pat Cummins 6-28 vs South Africa, Lord’s
Pat Cummins is the only entrant on this list whose spell came in a defeat. Playing his first Test for over six months, on the biggest stage at Lord's to defend Australia's World Test Championship title, Cummins pulled his side back into contention almost single-handedly. Australia had been bowled out for 202 in their first innings and, after Mitchell Starc removed both openers early with the new ball, Cummins capitalised.
The first three overs he bowled conceded just one run off the bat, before he bowled Wiaan Mulder to get on the wicket-taking column. He came back the following day and forced Temba Bavuma to hit out, so miserly was his spell, before taking four wickets in as many overs to end South Africa's innings for 138, giving Australia an improbable lead.
Mohammed Siraj 5-114 vs England, The Oval
Mohammed Siraj's 5-114 vs England was named Wisden Cricket Monthly's men's Test spell of the year in issue 94, available to buy here.
The figures don't stand out among the rest, but there could be no other pick for the top spot than Mohammed Siraj's magic at The Oval. India were as good as out of the match, and the series, when Harry Brook's fourth-innings hundred brought them 71 runs away from their target. Even at 347-6, England were only 27 runs away. But Siraj summoned his inner-showman to deliver a turnaround for the ages.
Under cloudy skies on the morning of day five, he found movement with an old ball which found Jamie Smith's outside edge with Siraj's third ball of the day. He bowled a wobble-ball which thudded into Jamie Overton's pad in his next over, before bowling six lethal balls to Josh Tongue in his next.
That brought on the theatrics of Chris Woakes coming out to bat with his injured left arm in his jumper, as Prasidh Krishna probed away at Gus Atkinson, England desperate to get the remaining six runs they needed to win the series before Siraj came back on from the other end. Despite getting Atkinson on strike to protect Woakes, it took just one ball for Siraj to castle his off stump, giving India one of their greatest wins.
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