Ravichandran Ashwin got his fifth Test hundred in the Chennai Test against England. It was indeed a very crucial knock as it took India to a position of huge strength. Ravhichandran Ashwin has always said that he doesn’t play for records. However while scoring the century Monday, the Tamil Nadu player joined an elite brand of cricketers who have scored a century and taken five wickets in an innings two times or more than that. Here’s a look at Ashwin’s unique achievement and the others.
The first time Ashwin got a century and five wickets in an innings was against the West Indies at Mumbai in 2011. He followed up the feat at Antigua in 2016. In that game Ashwin scored 113 in the only innings that India batted. Then in the West Indian second innings he returned figures of seven wickets for 83 runs. India won the game comfortably.
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Arguably Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer of all times, Shakib has achieved this feat of Ashwin twice. During Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh in 2011, Shakib scored 144 and picked up six wickets for 82 when Pakistan batted at Mirpur. Shakib repeated the feat in 2014 against Zimbabwe. He scored 137 in the first innings. When Zimbabwe batted Shakib returned figures of 5/80 and 5/44.
Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan)
The former Pakistani captain also achieved this feat more than twice. Mushtaq who led Pakistan in 19 Tests, first achieved the feat against New Zealand at Dunedin in 1973. He scored 201 in Pakistan’s only innings and had figures of 5/49 in New Zealand’s second innings. Four year later at Port of Spain he scored 121 runs and picked up five wickets for 28 runs.
Sir Gary Sobers (West Indies)
Undoubtedly the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen according to many pundits of the game. Sobers could bat anywhere in the order, bowl pace and spin, keep wickets and take some amazing catches. Sobers against India in 1962, scored 104 runs at Kingston and took five wickets (5/63) when India batted the second time. In 1966 he scored 174 against England and took five wickets (5/41) to ensure an innings win for the West Indies.
Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
The South African all-rounder has been compared many times to Sobers for his tremendous feats. The big-man from Cape Town scored 110 against West Indies in his hometown in 1999. He then took five wickets in the second innings to help South Africa win the game comfortably. The next time he achieved the feat was against Bangladesh a few years later when he scored 139 runs and returned bowling figures of 5/21.
Sir Ian Botham (England)
Well by his deeds Botham leaves the others in this article way behind. A century and five wickets in an innings have been achieved five times by Botham. He did so twice against New Zealand and once against Pakistan, India and Australia. However, the most important was against Asutralia. In that 1981 third Ashes Test, Botham took six wickets for 95 runs and scored an unbeaten 149 in the second innings to set up a 138-run victory target for Australia. When everyone thought Australia would win the game in a canter Bob Willis took eight wickets to help England win the game by 18 runs.
