5 all-rounders with 5K+ Test runs and 150+ Test wickets
All-rounders are a crucial part of any side in any format of the game. They bring versatility and a new dimension into the side with their efforts. Every team in international cricket or franchise cricket needs an all-rounder in their ranks and to have that luxury in Test cricket is of greater importance. There are few cricketers who have performed brilliantly with both bat and bat for their respective sides in the longest format of the game.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 players with 5000 plus runs and 150 plus wickets in Test matches:
1.Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis scored 13289 runs and took 292 wickets in 166 Tests. The Proteas all-rounder smashed a staggering 45 centuries at an average of 55.37 with the highest score of 224. Having made his Test debut in 1995, Kallis had a bowling average of 32.65 with best figures of 6/54. Five times he had taken five-wicket hauls in Test cricket.
2.Garry Sobers
Garry Sobers played 93 Tests and scored 8032 runs with 235 wickets to his name. His batting average was 57.78 with 26 hundreds and he had the highest score of 365*. In his 20-year career, which spanned from 1954 to 1974, Sobers bowled at an average of 34.03 and claimed best figures of 6/73. Six times the Caribbean legend bagged a five-wicket haul in Tests.
3.Kapil Dev
Indian legend Kapil Dev appeared in 131 matches and scored 5248 runs with 434 scalps under his belt. Kapil had a batting average of 31.05 with the best score of 163. He slammed eight centuries in his Test career, which began in 1978 and ended in 1994. His best bowling figures were 9/83 and he averaged 29.64 at the end of his 16-year-long career. Kapil snared five wickets in an innings 23 times in Tests.
4.Ian Botham
Ian Botham played 102 Tests and scored 5200 runs apart from taking 383 wickets. His batting average was 33.54 with the best score of 208. Botham struck 14 centuries in his career spanning from 1977 to 1992. His best figures were 8/34 and he had a career bowling average of 28.40. He took the most five-fors than the above-mentioned names (27).
5.Ben Stokes
In 78 matches, Ben Stokes has scored 5036 runs with a 36.49 average and 11 centuries. His highest score is 258, which came against South Africa in 2016. Stokes currently has 171 wickets to his name at an average of 32.16 and best figures of 6/22. Stokes has got five-wicket hauls four times in Test matches.
