Imran Khan To Ben Stokes: 5 Captains To Score 100 & Take 5-Wicket Haul In Same Test

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2 days ago

In the 148-year-long history of Test cricket, a total of five captains have scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul as well in the same Test. Here's a look at them:
Ben Stokes entered his name in the history books on Saturday (July 26) by becoming the first England and overall fifth captain in the world to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in a Test match. The 34-year-old all-rounder bowled 24 overs in the first innings of the ongoing fourth India-England Test at Old Trafford in Manchester and picked up 5 wickets for 72 runs. He then came out to bat at No. 6 for the hosts and, with the help of 11 fours and 3 sixes, scored 141 runs from 198 balls.
In the last 148 years, a total of 82 players have captained England in 1088 Test matches, but Stokes is the first one to score a century and take a fifer as well in the same Test.
The last Test captain before Stokes to score a century and take at least five wickets in an innings was Imran Khan of Pakistan. The legendary all-rounder achieved that feat against India in Faisalabad in 1983.
Here's a look at five captains who have scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in a Test match:
Denis Atkinson (West Indies) vs Australia, Bridgetown (1955)
West Indies' great Denis Atkinson was the first captain in the history of Test cricket to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test. He achieved the feat against Australia during the match played in Bridgetown from May 14 to 20 in 1955. Denis came out to bat at No. 7 in the first innings and scored 219 runs and then picked up 5 wickets for 56 runs in the second innings, where he bowled 36.2 overs.
Legendary all-rounder Garry Sobers was the second Test captain to score a century and take a fifer in the same Test. Sobers scored 174 runs from 260 balls as a No. 6 batter for the West Indies in the first innings of the 1966 Leeds Test against England and then finished with figures of 19.3-4-41-5 in the first innings to bowl England out for just 240 runs. In the second innings he picked up three more wickets to help his side win the contest by an innings and 55 runs.
Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan) vs West Indies, Port of Spain (1977)
Pakistan's Mushtaq Mohammad came out to bat at No. 5 against the West Indies in the first innings of the Port of Spain Test played from April 1 to 6 in 1977 and scored 121 runs. He then bowled 10.5 overs as well and picked up five wickets for 28 runs. In the second innings of that match, Mushtaq scored 56 runs again and picked up 3 wickets to set up Pakistan's win by 266 runs.
Imran Khan (Pakistan) vs India, Faisalabad (1983)
In the 1983 India-Pakistan Test match played at Faisalabad from January 3 to 8 in 1983, Imran Khan scored 117 runs from 121 balls as a No. 7 batter in the first innings after dismissing 6 Indian batters for 98 runs in 25 overs. In the second innings once again, Imran picked up five wickets for 82 runs in 30.5 overs and sealed his side's win by 10 wickets.
Ben Stokes (England) vs India, Manchester (2025)
Ben Stokes bowled 24 overs for England in the first innings of the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester and picked up 5 wickets for 72 runs. He then came out to bat at No. 6 and, with the help of 11 fours and 3 sixes, scored 141 runs from 198 balls. Stokes is overall the fourth England cricketer after Tony Greig, Ian Botham (5 times), and Gus Atkinson to score a century and take a fifer in the same Test.
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