In cricketing history, being an all-rounder is always an exciting development. Teams expect all-rounders to give their immense effort in both batting and bowling. One might argue that this is a lot to ask for but when you choose to be an all-rounder, it is a must to perform well in both aspects. In a test match, picking five-wicket hauls and scoring a century is a tough task but it's only the all-rounders who can achieve the impossible. Let us look at ten modern-day cricketers who scored a century and picked five wickets in the same innings.
1. IT Botham
When we talk about all-rounders it is a must to mention Ian Botham. Ian Botham might be one of the most exceptional English all-rounders that world cricket has ever seen. He has scored around 14 centuries with 383 wickets. He has achieved this task five times and one of the prominent was in the 1981 Ashes when he picked 6 wickets for 95 runs and scored 149 runs in the same innings.
2. Sohag Gazi
Bangladesh has produced some good all-rounders over the years and one of them was Sohag Gazi. Gazi was an off-spinner and right-hand batsman. He achieved the task during the 2013 series against New Zealand in Chattogram. He scored an unbeaten 101 runs in the first innings and when he came to bowl in the second innings he picked 6 important wickets which helped Bangladesh to gain control over the match.
3. PA Strang
A lower-order Zimbabwean batsman who balls some exceptional leg breaks was one of the few all-rounders who achieved this immense task. He was known for his googly, flipper, and top spinner. During the tour of Pakistan,1996 at Sheikhpura, Strang scored unbeaten 106 runs and also picked 5 for 212 against the strong Pakistan batting lineup.
4. Mushtaq Mohammad
Mushtaq Mohammad was one of the unique and successful Pakistani all-rounders. Mushtaq was so successful in his first-class career, that he continued that form at the international level as well. In a series against New Zealand at Dunedin, Mushtaq scored massive 201 runs and picked 5 for 49 runs in the same match.
5. Wasim Akram
Like Mushtaq Mohammad and Imran Khan, Wasim Akram was also one of the excellent all-rounders who contributed extensively in his bowling skills but also showed his batting performance in some important matches. He achieved the task against mighty Australia at Adelaide in the 1990 series. He picked 5 wickets for 100 runs and scored 123 runs which helped to draw the match at a crucial stage.
6. Jacques Kallis
South Africa had some underrated players in their history due to the questionable success of their team. When it comes to pointing out all-rounders, the only name that comes to our mind is Jacques Kallis. Kallis enjoyed success for over a decade and achieved some immense achievements. One of them was when he scored 110 runs and picked 5 for 90 in the same match when they hosted West Indies in 1999.
7. Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan can be considered one of the prominent all-rounders in world cricket. For two decades, he lifted the spirit of Bangladesh cricket. He proved his worth on many occasions, one of which was against Zimbabwe in 2014. He scored 137 runs and picked two 5 five-wicket hauls in the same match.
8. R Ashwin
Indian cricket has rarely seen any successful spinner all-rounder in the past. But after the emergence of Ravichandran Ashwin, a tall off-spinner with a decent batting record the record just became a myth. Ashwin is the only Indian all-rounder to score a century and picked five wickets in the same innings twice. The important one came at North Sound when India toured the West Indies in 2016. He scored 113 runs and picked 7 wickets for 83 runs.
9. RL Chase
In the past decade, West Indies started showing a decline in their development but some of the players who came during this decade impressed cricketing fans. One of them was Roston Chase. Chase impressed especially when India toured the West Indies in the 2016 series. Chase single-handedly anchored the innings by scoring unbeaten 137 runs and also picked 5 for 121.
10. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is a present-day exquisite player in Indian Cricket. His pace and fielding skills impressed a lot of cricket lovers. In test cricket, he was always tested especially in his batting performance. In the recent 2022 series against Sri Lanka, he proved that he is capable of scoring big runs and picking wickets at the same time. He scored unbeaten 175 runs and picked 5 wickets for 41 runs.
